AWOL
by verfolgung
Summary: Midway through her mastery of firebending, a 15 year old Korra makes the rash decision to run away to Republic City. The world is sent into a fit of hysteria, unbeknownst that the missing Avatar is right under their noses. Mako/Korra ... Makorra
1. Warm Water

**Summary: Midway through her mastery of firebending a 15 year old Korra makes the rash decision to run away to Republic City. The world is sent into a fit of hysteria, unbeknownst that the missing Avatar is right under their noses.**

**Prompt: Korra pulls an Aang and goes AWOL - for the sake of the world, hopefully not for 100 years**

**Rated: T - perhaps bumped up later**

**Pairings: Mako/Korra, various others. It gets complicated. There's character development to be had.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LOK. If I did, I would have that tankless hot water heater I so desperately need.**

**a/n - you know who you are, you lovely souls that prompted this...**

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Chapter 1 - Warm Water

Korra hated her firebending teacher. For a man who preached discipline like it was the world's most crucial lesson, he had a surprising amount of his grey hair singed off. Shouldn't someone so focused on control not have that many bald patches? His unruly hair was only one of the many things that irritated Korra about the old man.

Right off the bat, he refused to give the young Avatar his name. His reasoning was that she was not yet worthy to receive it. When she had mastered his element, they could see eye to eye, but for now she was not privileged enough to be given that knowledge. Of course, Korra thought this was complete and utter bullshit. She was the Avatar. While she wasn't self-centered, she believed that after mastering both water and earth at the ages of 7 and 12 respectively, she was at least worthy of such a minimal piece of information. The man, a muscular, yet wrinkly old bat, was unyielding when his mind was made up about such things. So unyielding that it was irritating.

Discipline was one thing to practice, but Korra was subjected to repeating the same exercises every day for the last 3 years. She had learned nothing from the old man. What use was meditating while slowly melting the snow around her every single day when she already could produce and throw fire punches? She was the Avatar, not a monk. Korra had a feeling that even her predecessor, Avatar Aang, would have lost his patience after the first year

"You are a waterbender, young Avatar," her nameless firebending master would say. He wore traditional Fire Nation garb, even in the South Pole. The man had been offered parkas and blankets numerous times, but he refused, stating his body had an internal furnace. Korra thought he was insane.

"Water is the opposite of fire, and therefore needs more practice. Begin again."

Korra ground her teeth and took another block of ice in her hand. Slowly, she filled her palm with heat and attempted to melt the hard crystal from the inside out. Her nameless sensei observed as a small circle appeared at the center of the ice, melting away and getting larger by the seconds. The 15 year old Avatar glanced up at him as the ice thinned more, eventually leaving a puddle in her hand. She shook the water off her palm as she spoke, annoyance coating her voice, "Can I put my gloves back on now? My hand is getting cold."

"No. Again."

She picked up another piece of ice, her hand growing numb on contact. She would have warmed her hand up with firebending, but warming her hand too much would have melted the ice - and thus rewarding her with yet another demand to start over. She concentrated on the middle of the ice. Once again, it began to melt.

After only a puddle remained, she stared at the firebending master. He looked at the Avatar in disdain, "Again!"

"Again? I've done this over 20 times today. I did it 20 times yesterday - as well as everyday of the past year. Every single time, it was perfect."

The man's face was unreadable as his lips pressed into their familiar line. His eyes squinted at Korra as if he were looking at the sun, "No. Again." And so Korra, without much of a choice, began again.

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Korra's day ended long after those in the compound had gone to sleep. Her nameless master had not ended their lessons, - she had not finished them to his satisfaction - but had simply postponed them. Her muscles ached and and her jaw was sore from the amount she had clenched it in frustration during the day. The young Avatar was on the very end of her wits. She entered her home to find her mother's groggy form leaning against the low table. While her father had duties to tend to in the tribe, her mother often visited the isolated compound.

"Korra," she greeted sleepily. Korra pulled down her snow covered hood from her face as a wordless greeting. Her mother gave a weak smile after seeing her daughter's familiar exhausted state. "I saved some food for you," she motioned to the bowl of sea prunes at the other side of table.

The Avatar wordlessly sauntered over to the table and sat on the ground. She took the spoon already present in the bowl and began to eat up, happy to finally get some food in her empty stomach. A hungry Avatar did not make a happy Avatar. She'd have to let her nameless sensei know that fact.

Upon seeing her daughter's strained features, Senna gave an audible sigh, "I know this is hard, honey."

"You have no idea how frustrating it is," she complained. Stress dripped off her voice. If she weren't so tired, she probably would have yelled in anger. Not that she was angry at her mother - she wasn't. Korra simply needed to unleash her pent up emotions.

"You have done so well so far," her mother tried, "You are the Avatar - you mastered earth and water. You have only two more to go."

"I haven't learned anything! He - whatever his name is - is a tyrant."

Senna was about to speak and sum up the words she used every time her daughter came home in a less than enjoyable mood, but Korra spoke first, "I didn't ask for this whole Avatar thing."

"I know you didn't, honey. You're special though. You have a duty to the world that's been upheld for thousands of years. Now it's your turn."

"What if I don't want that duty?"

Her mother frowned, "You don't have a choice. It's not like you can disappear and just be somebody else. It doesn't work like that."

Perhaps it was time to talk to Tonraq about considering a few stress relievers for Korra. Senna knew that her daughter was teetering on the edge of a breakdown, and she certainly would have liked to avoid such an instance. She and her husband had discussed a few things quietly - getting Korra a pet, or allowing highly supervised walks outside the compound, but never had they spoken seriously to the White Lotus with these suggestions.

Korra put a spoonful of prunes in her mouth and chewed, a miserable expression on her face. "I know."

Senna reached over to rub her daughter's shoulder, "Besides Korra, you turn 16 in a few weeks. You'll officially stop being a kid."

She scoffed, "I stopped being a kid the moment I presented earth, fire, and water to the White Lotus when I was 4."

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"Again," her nameless firebending master repeated. Korra had lost count how many times they had done this drill. It involved producing a flame in her palm at the very perfect intensity. Too weak of a flame would be extinguished by the falling snow and strong winds. Too powerful, and she would burn down the compound's dry wood imports sitting in the tent nearby. Oh yes, her nameless sensei was a high-risk, high-reward teacher. She had made the mistake of being cocky during this drill once before, burning half of the compound's supply of dry wood to a crisp. Fires were a scarcity for a couple of months before the Earth Kingdom sent a boat to restock it.

The 15 year old Avatar took a deep breath in order to calm her nerves. She stared at the White Lotus guards manning the gates and towers. Several were slacking off, while others maintained a rigid and attentive stance. She hadn't once left the compound in the 11 years she spent here. Not once had she been allowed to so much as glance at the world outside of the compound.

"Can't we take a break?" Korra requested, feeling her stomach's familiar pull for food.

The grey haired master sighed in an exasperated fashion before giving in, "Fine. It will probably do some good to get food in your system. Be back in 10 minutes... not a minute longer."

"10 minutes? That's barely enough time to eat."

He grunted and shrugged as he gathered his own lunch out of his satchel, "You best hurry then, young Avatar. Fire is about control - learn to control your free time as a start." With a sigh, Korra scampered off.

A stringy boy in Fire Nation garb suddenly appeared, gasping for breath after his run to the firebending master. The old man raised an eyebrow, "What do you want, boy?"

"Sir!" he greeted, standing tall. He brandished a rolled piece of paper, sealed with the insignia of the Fire Nation, "A letter came in for you. It's from Lord Zuko."

The man took the scroll and smiled a very rare smile, "Ah, I was expecting this. One should always keep up with the news of their home country."

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Korra had initially begun to head to the formidable building near her home. She could probably scavenge some meat from the compound's storage and heat up something herself. Nameless Sensei would be livid that she used her firebending so 'recklessly,' but it was his fault for giving he only 10 minutes. A warm aroma suddenly entered her nose. It was most definitely meat - but not seal. Probably something foreign. She could identify an unknown spice that made the mystery meat even more desirable.

Like the 15 year old bender she was, Korra acted on intuition. She craned her head in the direction of the smell; its source was one of the wooden buildings where the guards slept. Several men - some guards, others foreign - gathered around a long table with strips of meat laid out. She cautiously hovered around the men who were choosing pieces of the meat to put on their plates.

"Hello there little lady," a large man with a black beard greeted, "You looking for something?"

Korra perked up, "No. I mean - yeah, are you selling?"

The man chuckled, "No, no. We're having a goodbye meal for several of the guards here. Most of them are being shipped off to Republic City this evening by way of my ship," he smiled proudly at the mention of his vessel. He was obviously a passionate man when it came to his profession. The old captain watched as the girl frowned at his initial words and then quickly added, "You are welcome to eat with us."

Korra eagerly grabbed a plate and stocked up on meat. True to her sense of smell, it was a spice she hadn't encountered before. Something about it made her chest tighten as the chewed meat went down her throat. If this was the standard taste and feel of Fire Nation food, perhaps her nameless sensei had reason to act so uptight. This was great on an occasion, but eating such strong spices everyday would probably drive a man to madness.

The captain chewed on his own strip of meat as other guards began to take breaks from their posts. The young girl before him made an odd face as she finished the first bite of food. "Need some more spice on that?" he inquired.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously in reply, "No. This is more than enough."

The captain chucked, "Suit yourself. It gets better if you put more on."

"Where did you say you were headed again?"

"Republic City," the old man replied.

"What's it like there?"

"Compared to the Southern Water Tribe or just in general?"

"Both," the 15 year old responded.

The captain rubbed his hand through his long, authentic Fire Nation beard, "Well, it's a lot warmer than the Southern Water Tribe," he chuckled, "the buildings are tall, making the palace here look average. Lots of metal. And the roads! There are road everywhere with motorcycles and cars."

"Cars? I remember a few of those when I was a child," Korra wondered out loud, "What is a motorcycle?"

"It's much like a car, but with two wheels."

"How could that work? Wouldn't it fall over?"

The captain laughed, "No, no. It's difficult to explain."

Korra realized that she wasn't going to get an explanation without her becoming terribly confused, and moved onto her next topic, "Where is your ship? Is there a harbor nearby?"

"Yes. Right down the mountain - not too far from here."

"What's in Republic City for these guards?"

"Master Airbender Tenzin - Avatar Aang's son - lives there. He requires protection for his little family of airbenders."

The Avatar gave the man a confused look, "What's so dangerous?"

"Airbenders aren't exactly a common sight - if something were to happen to any one of them, it would be a blow to the future of their kind."

Korra looked at her food in silence before realizing it had nearly been 10 minutes. She set her plate down and thanked the captain, "It was nice meeting you sir. I have to get back to training." The old captain sent her off with a smile and Korra headed toward the now unmanned gates.

She would just take a peek. The gates were large and decorated with the head of a lion turtle. The only question now was how she was going to open them without alerting any of the preoccupied members of the White Lotus. Korra realized she had to first figure out a feasible way to open the massive doorway. She took an earthbending stance and moved to thrust her arm forward. She year old watched as nothing happened, deducting that the door was indeed not made of any earthly materials. Glancing back at the guards enjoying their meals, she reverted to her native element. A large pole of ice appeared from the ground, jutting forward and pushing on the door.

A loud groan sounded from the gate, causing several guards to turn their heads. Eyes widened. A man yelled, snapping many out of their daze. A sprint was made to the door, several of the waterbending White Lotus members riding an icy wave over in the flurry of panic. Upon observation, the door had been opened from the inside out. There was no threat present - just a solid pole of ice having shoved the door open enough for a small man to slip through.

"It's all clear," one of the men stated with a hint of confusion.

"Should we search inside sir?" another guard asked, "Somebody may have infiltrated the compound."

The Avatar's nameless firebending master's audible sigh could be heard, "You idiots. No one has entered the compound. The Avatar has clearly left!"

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Korra had made it out and away from the compound in no time. She knew that the guards would put two-and-two together as soon as they discovered that the gate had been propped open from the inside. She knew that she would be in deep shit and under mass surveillance when they found her. So Korra's simple peek outside the compound turned into more of a run, and her run turned into more of a hide. To be specific, she was hiding in the cargo bay of a ship. She had been there for a few hours when she heard the engine of the ship start. Voices could be heard from the deck above her.

"Tenzin's not going to be happy."

"Forget Tenzin - did you see her firebending teacher?"

"I can't believe we lost the Avatar. Let's hope it doesn't take a hundred years this time..."

She could just feel Avatar Aang's disappointment and pull to want her to head back to the compound. She could literally feel her former lives fill her mind with shame. Guilt would have welled up in Korra's heart it it weren't for her current state of panic. She was on a ship. At least the previous mention of Tenzin confirmed she had chosen the correct ship to Republic City. It could be days - no, weeks - until she was able to leave. What would she do for food? How would she survive? She had not thought any of this through.

She sighed in a fit of stress, her breath visible as it left her body. Korra hadn't realized how cold she was until then. Even with her parka on, she was freezing in her metal prison. She concentrated on warming her body up, but it only reminded the Avatar of her insufferable teacher waiting back at the compound. Or probably searching the entire South Pole for her with the rest of her family.

The creak of a door opening was heard throughout the cargo bay. Wind kissed her cheeks, causing her to cringe at the sharp sting of frozen air. Light footsteps could be heard accompanied by a young, grumbling voice. "Can't they get their own food? Too busy searching the ship for the stupid Avatar..."

The voice got louder - closer - and Korra froze behind a wooden crate. A noise could be heard as a metal container was lifted somewhere to the left of her. She didn't dare look. She didn't dare move. The footsteps moved again, this time returning to where they came from. The 15 year old sighed in relief as they began to fade, as her heart was beating her chest at a hundred kilometers per hour. Suddenly, there was a pause in the noise. The sound of a crate being set on the ground and hurried footsteps back into the storage bay caused her heart to pound.

She could see the shadow created by the light emitted from the door grow nearer until it hovered behind her. An audible gasp echoed throughout the metal room, "You're the Ava-" The boy's voice was loud. Much too loud. Quickly, Korra made her move, stood up, and covered the boy's face. It was a young male who couldn't have been above the age of 10. He was wearing Fire Nation robes, his eyes were wide, and his body rigid. She briefly wondered what he was doing on the ship in the first place, but as he squirmed in her arms realized there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Yes I am," she uncovered his mouth slowly, as if he was at risk to scream. He probably was. She was stronger than she looked; training every day for the majority of one's life tended to build some extra muscle and endurance. The poor kid probably didn't expect to be taken down by a girl. Thankfully, the boy did not scream. He didn't even speak until Korra gave him a reassuring nod.

"They're looking for you," he whispered.

"I know," she replied, staleness in her voice, "They can't know I am here."

"Why?! You're the Avatar. You can't just leave like Avatar Aang!"

"Firstly, Aang was frozen in an iceberg. Not much of a choice in if he wanted to leave or not," she said in frustration, "I can't be found because I needed a vacation. You know how that is, right? Needing a vacation from school?" He nodded empathetically, "Try being in school every day for 11 years straight." The boy still seemed marginally confused, but he probably recalled his own schooling. She could tell that she had struck up some pity with the kid.

After a moment of pause, he spoke, "I won't tell anyone."

Korra was skeptical of that, but she nodded anyway. She could use him for some information in the mean time, "Thank you. Do you know how long this trip will be?"

The boy shrugged, "Probably a few days. The ships are quite fast when we aren't making any stops."

"Do you know if there is food and water down here that I can survive on?"

"I'm bringing the last crate of food up to the galley," he explained, "But when we do eat, I can bring you down a meal and something to drink."

"Can you get me a bucket of seawater within the next few days and bring me a plate of food every day?"

"You can't drink seawater. You'll get sick."

Korra gave him a light smile, "I'm a waterbender. I can just purify the seawater myself." He seemed to have accepted this answer, and told her he would do his best to provide her with as much food as possible - without arising suspicion, of course.

They both jumped when a voice sounded from the door, "Hey kid, what's taking so long?"

The boy shuffled over to the container of food he had left on the floor before replying to the voice, "Nothing! I thought I saw a crate that had some fresh meat in it is all."

The voice, deep and grown, replied, "I wish you had seen it... I could do for meat the next few days. Tenzin won't have any." The boy gave a quick glance in Korra's direction before heaving the original container and heading out of the cargo bay.

True to his word, the boy left a metal pail of seawater near the entrance to the cold cargo bay. He had made a loud thud and knocked on the entrance several times to alert her of its presence. After a general 15 minute period of waiting (just to be safe), Korra retrieved the bucket and set it beside her. She spent her free time in the isolated basement of the ship practicing her waterbending, playing with the seawater from the bucket and confounding it into impossible shapes. When the sun set and darkness filled the room, she lit a flame in her palm and warmed herself. It was boring, but if she was able to see Republic City, it would be worth it.

The boy returned the next afternoon with a meal. He knocked twice, and like before, Korra waited 15 minutes before retrieving her meal. Seaweed and some sort of fish filled the plate, but she wasn't going to complain. Her stomach was aching, having been been absent of the hearty breakfast she would always consume before training each morning. Korra was secretly thankful for her dear little friend. He could have told the White Lotus members, but it sounded like he had some animosity toward the men who bossed him around and sent him on errands. Several times, the Avatar had heard the men on the deck above her yell at the boy to fetch them something or another. This was usually followed by a set of groans and complaints.

The sun set on her second night within the ship. Korra was beginning to get stir crazy, feeling the need to move. She hadn't expelled any of the energy that her body had come accustomed to while training rigorously for years. Even the stupid drills that her Nameless Sensei had her performing were taxing. The Avatar stood up and began to practice earthbending stances. She was deep in concentration when two knocks were heard. She froze, watching as moonlight poured in from the opened door. She felt relief wash over her as the silhouette of her young accomplice appeared.

"Avatar?" he whispered into the dark. Korra lit the room with a small flame, revealing her position.

"Yes?"

The boy walked toward her, his hand outstretched and offering her something. Upon closer inspection, she found that it was a piece of paper. Korra took it gently before realizing it was a picture of herself smiling back at her. She held the flame closer, the words 'MISSING' spread across the top of the page along with some identifying details at the bottom. Information such as her name and height were listed. None of it mentioned the fact that she could bend multiple elements. Probably the Order not wanting mass panic that the Avatar had once again disappeared. "What is this for?"

"They plan on putting these across the Four Nations."

Korra frowned, "I need to do something about this."

"It's too late - I overheard the captain. He said that they already dispersed thousands of fliers in Republic City."

"I can do something," she whispered, bending some of the water from her pale into a shard of ice. The boy wordlessly watched as the 15 year old Avatar undid her hair's traditional ponytails, and held up the ice to the loose ends. Slowly, right below her shoulder, she began to slice her hair. Strands dropped into a slowly growing pile at her feet, the dark brown hair on her head now feeling lighter than before.

"What are you doing?" he questioned. As if it wasn't obvious.

She cut another section, "I'm changing my look. They will recognize me from these drawings."

"You should also change your clothing."

"I can take off my parka when we get to Republic City. They'll be looking for someone in traditional water tribe clothing. Once I get there, I am sure I can find something that I can blend in with more."

The boy yawned and gave a nervous glance toward the door to the cargo bay. "Do you need anything?" Korra wasn't sure what the hour was, but judging by the lack of light, she assumed it was quite early in the morning.

She shook her head, "No. But thank you... What's you name?"

He gave her a soft smile before standing. His brown eyes gleamed in the scarce light in the room. He retrieved her empty plate from earlier with with one hand and walked over to the door. He used his free hand to pull open the latch to the outside world. "My name is Lee."

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Somewhere on Air Temple Island, a old airbending master was panicking. He had received word of Korra's disappearance the day it happened. Upon reading the first sentence of the letter that declared that the White Lotus had misplaced the 15 year old, his first reaction was that she had been kidnapped. It wouldn't have been the first time there was an attempt to snatch away the most coveted teenager in the Four Nations. As he read further, he felt like pulling out the hair of his beard at the stupidity and avoidability of the situation. They were distracted by _lunch_?! Of all the things, a lunch break was what had lost the world's single link between spirits and people.

His father would have probably laughed at this. Then again, his father knew where his latest reincarnation was. Tenzin, on the other hand had no idea where Korra was, and if she had been eaten by a pack of wild moose-lions yet. It wasn't out of the question. Stranger things _had_ happened when the Avatar went missing. His own father befriended a lion turtle during one of his little stints as a child. Korra was no Aang though. She was more reckless and did not have the weight of ending a war that committed genocide on her entire race.

What would he do if he were Korra? Where would he go? Tenzin thread his fingers through his beard and closed his eyes in thought. When his mind came up blank, he sighed. If he were Korra, he would have most definitely stayed in the compound and finished his training. The old airbending master clearly was not in touch with this generation. He would need to travel to the Southern Water Tribe himself and speak to her parents. Perhaps Tonraq and Senna would be able to share some insight on their daughter's whereabouts.

He turned around to glance at the nearest White Lotus member, "You there!" The man straightened up and stared at Tenzin with determined eyes. The elder man began folding the letter in his hand, "Inform Tarrlok, Lin, and the council that I will be taking an unexpected has been an unprecedented event in the Southern Water Tribe."

The man nodded and sprinted off. Tenzin placed the folded letter in his traditional airbender robes and rubbed his temples. Perhaps some meditating would help calm his frayed nerves.

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The day finally came. The Avatar felt the ship stall up, its engine slowly shutting down after the long voyage. The sound of men moving in a stampede of footsteps to get off of the ship was a welcome sound entering her ears. She waited several hours for the buzz to calm down, thanking Yue, Tui and La - and whatever other spirits she could think of - that nobody had decided to start unloading cargo. The less people who noticed her, the better.

Korra shed her parka, stuffing it behind several heavy containers. She stretched her now bare arms and adjusted to the cold of the cargo bay. She desperately pleaded that Republic City wasn't too cold. If it was, she would look like an idiot with her sleeveless top. With steady hands, the Avatar turned the latch on the heavy metal door. Sunlight poured in, burning her eyes momentarily before she was able to behold the sight before her.

Republic City was better than anything she had ever imagined. The buildings were on a massive scale, sticking up from the ground like shards of ice. They came in many varieties: tall, short, long, and thin. The Southern Water Tribe was similar, but not to this extent. And the cars - they were ever present and hummed through the streets on their silver wheels and sturdy bodies. The thing that most intrigued the Avatar were the people. They were in all varieties of clothing, making it hard to tell which nation they represented. Everybody in the south wore blue. It was the color of the Water Tribe. These people wore browns, blacks, oranges, reds, blues, and greens - all in the same outfit. It was much like the epitome of the city itself; a melting pot of people and nations.

Without another thought, Korra stepped out of the cargo hold and entered Republic City.

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**a/n - Yes, there will be more. Reviews more than welcome. We will be hearing more from Lee. He is important. Our dear canon characters (Mako, Bolin, etc) will be making appearances next chapter.  
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	2. Guts

**Disclaimer: If I did own LOK, then this would be very awkward. Alas, I do not - but if they are selling the rights for less than 10 bucks, I'd probably be interested. Let me know if that ever happens.**

**a/n - Love y'all so much for all the reviews and follows. You lovely, lovely souls are so very excellent. I was so encouraged that I began the next chapter not 6 hours after I finished my last. Hurrah for not sleeping! Unfortunately the next chap may not come as quickly.  
**

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Chapter 2 - Guts

Mako quickened his pace through the idle hustle of the crowd. He twisted and turned through the maze of consumers hovering beside the market stands. A variety of individuals, some bright and welcoming, others shady and inciting suspicion gathered around the stands. The 16 year old was not concerned with those who lurked in the shadows, as he himself belonged in a category of lesser men. As a member of the Triple Threat Triad, his associates were less than friendly as well as less than lawful.

The firebender craned his head above the moving mass of bodies, searching for his little brother. Well, sort of. He was searching for his little brother's fire ferret, which often sat perched atop his head. A bright red rodent was _much _easier to spot in a congested crowd than a mass of black hair. Mako groaned in frustration_. _Where was Bolin? His younger brother always seemed to get himself in trouble - especially since adopting Pabu.

"Watch out! Excuse me! Pardon me!" the familiar sound of Bolin rang somewhere behind Mako. The 14 year old earthbender's voice parted the crowd as he continued to warn those in front of him of his presence. A bright red blur ran past Mako and into a stand of cabbages. He watched as Bolin appeared soon after, his pace coming to a halt as he spotted his elder brother.

"Mako! Did you see-"

The firebender in question simply gestured to the stand of cabbages, where a perturbed merchant was in the process of pulling out his hair searching for the fire ferret. Bolin quickly went to remedy the situation, pulling the red and white mass of fur out from beneath the poor farmer's wares.

The earthbender grinned sheepishly at the man, "I'm really sorry. It won't happen again! I swear!" The merchant was not amused, and immediately began to dust fur off his vegetables. Mako adjusted his red scarf and gestured for his brother to follow him before the man had a conniption.

"Why don't you get Pabu a leash?" the firebender sighed.

Bolin gave an over exaggerated gasp, clutching the rodent in his arms. He stuck his nose in the air, "Pabu is a free soul! Free souls don't need to be _leashed_." He adjusted his hold on the fire ferret so that his hands were under its from legs and he was facing him. The younger brother leaned in to speak to the little creature, "Isn't that right boy?"

A small smile presented itself onto Mako's features. He loved his brother - no matter how ridiculous he acted. While the little animal could be a bother, it made Bolin happy, and therefore it made Mako happy. Family was everything to the young man. "We're going to collect a debt from Loki's."

"You mean the tailor?"

"Yeah, that guy."

Bolin frowned, "But he's _so _nice, Mako!"

"It's not my decision. The Triple Threats ordered it." Bolin could tell that by the tone laced in Mako's voice, he felt the same way. They didn't like their job, but it paid well and the Triad took good care of them. As orphans, they didn't have many alternatives.

The brothers arrived at Loki's Wearable Wares after a few minutes of walking. The shopping district was one of the most central point in the city. Nothing was too far from it, making the streets that were filled with kiosks and carts of good an ideal meeting place. The building was one of the eldest in Republic City. It was desperately in need of repairs, the paint peeling off, the wooden siding molding. Nonetheless, it was one of the most reputable hidden gems in the city. Mako and Bolin bought all their clothes from the pleasant, but ill-tempered man who ran the shop.

A girl with a messy haircut and a coat that clearly did not fit, poured out of the door. She wore a combination of green and black nondescript clothing - a piece the firebender immediately recognized as one of Loki's designs. A baggy brown coat was slung over her form, nearly being caught in the door as she shuffled out. She noticed Mako and Bolin watching her, and smiled uncomfortably before dashing off. He watched as the girl - who was probably around his age - nearly get hit by a car in her haste.

"Look both ways!" Bolin yelled after her before his brother coaxed him inside by way of a hand on his shoulder.

Mako took a deep breath before walking up to the counter, where the old tailor resided counting some odd looking coins. "Loki..." he began. Their old friend couldn't have been a day under 70 by appearance, but his mind was healthy and youthful, having spent the majority of his days in joy as he practiced his favorite past time for a living.

The old man smiled in response, "Good afternoon Mako, Bolin. What can I do for you today? You didn't tear up that old scarf again, did you?"

Before Mako could reply, Bolin, with a curious look from his position over the counter, interrupted, "What are those?" he pointed at the coins that the man was currently counting. The young earthbender picked one up and held it up to his eye. Pabu blinked and attempted to snatch it, most likely believing it was a shiny treat.

"Some sort of Water Tribe coin," the man grumbled, "The little lady who was just in here bought her clothing with it. Had nothing else, so I decided to accept it."

"Is it worth a lot of money?" Bolin asked as he set down the coin he was oogling.

Loki shrugged, "I've been told they're worth more than the average coin around here. You just don't see foreign money in Republic City though."

Mako, feeling uncomfortable as it was standing there, decided it was time to interject, "We're here on Triple Threat Business."

The tailor frowned, "I don't have the money, boys."

"Loki, we like you - but we can't go back empty handed."

"I told you, I don't have the money. Silk prices have gone up recently... I've barely had any money for myself."

The firebender ran a hand through his black hair, attempting his best to find a solution for his old friend, "What if you gave us this Water Tribe money? We'd consider the debt paid."

The old man rubbed his greying beard, his sagging jowls pushed around by his worn hands, "I suppose I could give them to you. None of my suppliers would be willing to take such coins."

.

.

.

Lin Beifong was a woman with an exterior of cold steel. She was hardy and unbreakable, much like the element she was so profound at bending. Toph Beifong's daughter was as much respected as her wrath was feared. The Chief of Police sat at her desk reading the afternoon's reports when the letter came in. A young messenger dressed in traditional Fire Nation clothing entered her office, nervously glancing anywhere but at the metalbender in front of him.

She quirked an eyebrow above the report in her hands, "Knock next time."

The boy jumped at the sound of her steely vocals, his hands shaking as he presented the latest scroll. "Ma'am, I have an important message from the Southern Water Tribe."

Lin waved a hand at her desk, "Set it there."

The boy swallowed hard, "It's been requested by Chief Tonraq that you read it upon delivery."

_Now_ the renowned metalbender was interested. It wasn't everyday that a man thousands of kilometers away sent her an urgent letter. Especially if said man was the father of one of the most powerful benders in the world. She took the sealed letter in hand and pulled it open with a brand of care that was unusually foreign to the Chief of Police.

Her eyes gave nothing away as she scanned its contents. It had been years since she had last received a handwritten note from the Chief, but one didn't have to be familiar with his penmanship to tell his writing was strangely shaky. Tonraq had either been in a fit of rage or worry upon writing it. Perhaps both.

_'Lin,_

_'By now you may have noticed fliers and posters being dispersed throughout your city. An image of a citizen of the Southern Water Tribe is printed on them. This citizen is my daughter.' _Oh yes, Lin had seen the images. They were littering the streets of her city and had been attached to every wall and lamppost. It was nice of someone to _finally _let her know why the face of a Water Tribe youth had become a sight nearly as common as books in a library.

The metalbender continued to read. '_The Avatar was last seen exiting the compound while her guards were,' _the next word was scribbled out as if the wording was originally incorrect. The letter continued, '_preoccupied. We believe she is still in the South Pole somewhere, but there was a ship that left for Republic City the same day... hence our concern that she could be a continent away.'_

The last paragraph was prominent in her mind: '_Tell no one about my daughter's current situation. If people were to find out that the Avatar is missing, it could cause a brand of chaos that has not been seen in nearly a hundred years.' _The letter ended with Tonraq's signature at the bottom of the page.

Lin leaned back in her chair, processing what she had just learned. "Did you also deliver a message to Tenzin?" she questioned the messenger boy.

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am. He ordered a letter to be sent to you and the councilmen stating that he would be on a leave of absence."

So Tenzin had already made the decision to head over to the South Pole? For a man that preached thinking things through before acting, it sure didn't take him long. "When did Tenzin receive his letter?"

The young boy looked down at his feet, "Two days ago..."

She narrowed her eyes, "Why was I not contacted immediately? Why did it take two days for this message to get to me?"

His eyes widened in panic at the woman's demanding tone, "I was told to hand deliver it to you! Each time I came to your office, you were out."

Lin nodded with understanding, but the cold look on her face stayed. With a rare kind gesture, the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a few coins, "Go get yourself a good meal, kid."

The boy scampered off, relief washing over his features as he was dismissed. Lin didn't necessarily dislike being so imposing, but having people cower at the the mere sight of her got quite annoying. The door to her office was suddenly opened again, a sharp creak emitting from the hinges. A man dressed in a messenger's uniform revealed himself, presenting a rolled up scroll.

"I have a letter from Master Airbender Tenzin."

The Police Chief glared at him, "Does anybody around here know how to knock? You're two days late. Set it on my desk. I already know the letter's contents."

The messenger set the letter on her desk and turned to leave, his facade as a brave professional clearly shattered. "I also know that it took so long because none of you wanted to face me. Now go tell your buddies that you didn't cower in fear and collect your money from your bet." Without another word, the second messenger of Lin Beifong's day left in a hurry.

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.

.

After a hearty meal and brief chase after the free-spirited Pabu, Mako and Bolin arrived at the Triple Threat Triad's headquarters. The building masqueraded as a restaurant, but it was more like a fortress. The Triad's strongest and most imposing members stood out front, arms crossed, faces unmoving. Their bodies may as well have been chiseled out of stone. It was in the heart of downtown, right under the noses of the police. While the location of the headquarters was not much of a secret, it was a general rule that police should steer clear, lest they have _business_.

Mako stood tall and didn't allow the intimidating guards outside of the building bother him. He opened the door, Bolin following on his coattails with Pabu tucked into his shirt. The firebender spotted Shady Shin in the back of the restaurant, each of his arms draped over an elegantly dressed woman. As usual, their associate was in dressed for success, not a hair out of place nor pinch of stubble on his cheeks - save for his immaculately groomed sideburns and goatee. He laughed at something one of the ladies said, and then seemed to give his own rebuttal, which incited a harmony of laughs from the females.

Mako coughed to get the elder man's attention. Shin, in return, let out an exasperated sigh before turning to the teen, "Did you get Loki's money?"

The elder brother looked at Bolin, who, despite Pabu's wiggling, shoved his hand into his pocket and dug around for the coins. He retrieved a handful of the Water Tribe coins and placed them on the table in front of the preoccupied Shin. The man in question turned to glance at the coins before returning his attentions to his women. A moment passed before he did a double take.

The two brothers watched as the Triple Threat recruiter's arms left the womens' shoulders. He leaned over the table and snatched one of the coins, his eyes widening upon further inspection. He motioned for the two women to leave, and they obeyed without question. "Where did you get these?"

Bolin shrugged, "We told you, Loki gave them to us to clear his debt."

Shady Shin was not satisfied with this answer, "Do you know what this is?"

"He said they were Water Tribe coins," Mako told him, his eyes narrowed and confused about what was so fascinating about these coins.

"These," Shin held up the coin for the brothers to observe, "are our token to taking down the Red Monsoons."

"I don't understand?"

"Let me give you guys a little lesson," the elder man leaned back in his seat, "When you enter Republic City, you exchange all foreign currency - it helps reduce the confusion and strain on the economy. Technically having foreign currency is useless unless you go back to the country it was made in. These babies are _rare._"

"What do they have to do with the Red Monsoons? I know they're all waterbenders, but what does a useless Water Tribe coin have to do with it?" Mako interjected.

Shin rolled the coin between his thumb and forefinger, "Not useless! The Monsoons give these coins value. They carry them to identify themselves as members. If you can waterbend and have one of these coins on hand, you are assumed to be a Red Monsoon member."

The firebender's eyes widened in realization. In a city where turf wars were brewing, Bolin and he had just hit the jackpot. "You're proposing giving these to our own waterbenders and having them infiltrate the Monsoons from the inside out?"

"You're a smart kid, Mako. That's exactly it. We just need one thing from you..."

Mako frowned, not liking where this was going, "What?"

"You and your brother need to get more. Shake the old man up. I'm sure he'll have more."

He shook his head, "He doesn't have more. They came from a customer."

Shin rolled his eyes, "Then find the customer. Did you always want to be a detective?"

"Well, yeah... but -"

"Then now's your chance, kiddo!"

Bolin nervously glanced between the two males. His brother seemed to be torn between anger and intrigue. While the firebender disliked the idea of promoting violence between the Triads, he also was very much interested in the detective aspect of this. Why had that girl been carrying these coins? Was she a Red Monsoon member? Was it a trap? There were so many questions that he wanted to answer. "We'll do our best, Shin!" Bolin tugged on his brother's sleeve, "Come on Mako."

The two brothers left the headquarters, gathering themselves outside. Silence ripped between the two brothers as they slowly walked away from the building and toward the direction of their home. Bolin was the first to speak, his hands stuffed in his pockets as his fire ferret slipped out of his shirt and onto his shoulders. "What are we going to about this?"

Mako shrugged, "You heard him. We're going to have to find that girl."

"Do you think this is the right thing? I don't like messing with the other Triads."

"Don't worry about that, Bolin. You won't get hurt. We're just going to do our part and get paid."

"I'm not worried about myself getting hurt, Mako," the younger brother muttered, "I'm worried about you getting hurt."

Mako's lips pressed together in order to stifle what he wanted to say._ That it didn't matter, so long as Bolin was safe._ He wasn't melodramatic though; he knew Bolin wouldn't accept that answer. His younger brother would probably throw a fit if he voiced his thoughts out loud. Instead, he inhaled a deep breath of air and spoke with an unwavering voice, feigning confidence, "Let's just head home Bolin."

.

.

.

The South Pole was a cold, unforgiving place for foreigners and tribesmen alike. Wind bit at exposed cheeks, ice hung off of loose ends of clothing. The consistent snowfall created layer after layer of impossible terrain to traverse. Depending on the time of year, the prolonged days and nights severely disrupted one's perception of time. To say the least, if you became lost in the South Pole, the odds were against you. Tonraq could only pray to Tui and La that his daughter was faring well.

Well, there was the small chance she had hitched a ride on the outgoing ship, but it was very unlikely. Somebody would have noticed a 15 year old girl who could wield all four elements by now. The ship had been due to arrive in the city today - if, by some strange chance she _had_ arrived there, he had White Lotus guards all over the city looking for a girl with her description. The fliers he had ordered to be printed were also another safety-net he had utilized. Not only did he have White Lotus members on the lookout for her, he had all of Republic City to memorize her face and look. The Southern Water Tribe's chief hadn't heard from anyone about her whereabouts yet, so he assumed she was still in the south.

Tenzin had sent him a message that he had embarked on his way to South Pole two days ago by way of sky bison. While Tonraq was sure it was the most comfortable form of travel for the airbending master, he had uncertainties regarding how quick that form of transportation was. With the constant developments in technology, it was much more efficient to go by airship or motorized boat. Nonetheless, he was grateful for Avatar Aang's son's assistance during such a taxing situation. If anyone could help him divulge a productive plan for searching for Korra, it would be Tenzin.

There was a knock on the door of Tonraq's office, breaking his train of thought. He rubbed his temples and close his eyes as he spoke, "Come in."

The door slowly opened, revealing an elderly woman with white hair. The chief stood up out of respect, bowing at the sight of the woman, "Lady Katara."

Katara's eyes were heavy, but her presence lifted the tension from the room immediately. She gave the younger man a soft smile, "Chief Tonraq. You requested me a few days ago, and I apologize for the for the delay. I was in demand as a healer."

"It's not a problem, Katara. I appreciate you taking time out of your day for me," he motion toward the chair in front of his desk as he sat down adjacent to it. The elderly waterbender slowly heaved her body into the fur lined seat, waiting for him to continue, "There's been an issue regarding my daughter."

"Would you like me to talk to her? Aang experienced many hardships as well when he was young."

Tonraq straightened the collar of his traditional water tribe robes before elaborating, "I wish you could. Korra's run away."

Katara didn't seemed as surprised as he anticipated. While the woman had left her temper behind in her youth, he had at least expected a worried gasp. She simply closed her eyes, as if there was a scene in front of her that she did not want to have to witness. The last question on Tonraq's mind left Katara's mouth, "Why?"

He didn't have an answer for that. He hadn't given it any thought. He knew that Korra had been feeling stressed, but he figured it was typical behavior for a moody teenager. Even he had gone through a stage like that. He answered the former Avatar's wife honestly, "I don't know."

"When Aang would disappear, we of course would ask where he was. However, the more pressing matter was why he had left us."

"I understand, but I'm not sure how this would help us find Korra."

"It's not about helping find her, Tonraq. Being the Avatar is more emotionally taxing than one could imagine... you have the pull of a thousand lives telling you how to live your life. When Aang left, we always made the mistake of trying to find him. In the end, the spirits guided him home."

He feared what she was about to say next, "What are you trying to say?"

"Do not look for Korra. She is connected with the spirits in a way you cannot fathom. They will guide her home."

"We can't just leave her out there. She could be freezing to death! Didn't you search for Aang when he was lost in the swamp?"

Katara smiled as she recalled the memory from 70 years ago. At the time, she could never imagine smiling at such a terrifying memory, but now was different. It had been the very event that brought Toph to their little family. "The spirits brought him back to us. While we did search, it was a futile effort. We saw the visions that the spirits wanted us to see, and then they reunited us."

"I respect you beyond all measure, but this is completely different. She isn't going on some spiritual quest like Aang."

"The Avatar's entire life is a spiritual quest, Chief Tonraq."

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.

.

For the umpteenth time, Korra adjusted her brown oversized coat. It would droop off of one shoulder right as she adjusted the other shoulder to her liking. The coat was also uncomfortably long. While such a style was a common sight in republic city, it was clumsy and heavy on her form. Her parka had been a smooth layer of fur - like a warm shirt above her regular clothing. In the Avatar's opinion, this was less practical and more for style. The old man had insisted that she buy a strip of green cloth to tie around the coat at her waist. Her plain shirt and pants were both black, a neutral color that wouldn't set her apart in a crowd.

Korra stumbled upon another poster of her face. Subtly, she ripped the paper off of the lamppost and crumpled it into a small ball. The Avatar channeled energy into her palm, warming up the paper until it was nothing but ash. She knew she had to be careful when she removed the posters. If anybody saw, she would be subjected to a lot of unwanted questions.

The Avatar's stomach growled in hunger as she spotted a friendly looking merchant selling bread. It was just bread, but Korra welcomed anything at this point. She pointed to a baguette resting at the very front of the man's display. He nodded, "Two copper pieces."

Korra removed two Water Tribe coins from her coat pocket, "Do these work?" The man stared at her open palm, the currency from her home shining brightly in the early evening sun.

He froze as if he was encased in ice, his hand hovering in the motion to take them. Finally, the man gave a hard swallow and shook his head, "Please leave. I'm just a simple merchant. I don't mess with the Triads."

The Avatar frowned, but was not surprised with this reaction. Her last dozen attempts to buy food had all ended in this manner. She'd greet a merchant with a friendly smile, they'd be equally inviting, and then she would pull out her money. All the sunshine in the interaction would immediately disappear at the sight of the coins, and the merchant would plead with her to leave, sometimes mentioning 'Triads'.

She still had a dozen coins left in her pocket, so she was sure that lack of fund was not the reason people were avoiding selling to her. Her first thoughts were that they had recognized her from the posters and didn't want to sell to her in case she was in trouble with the law. After multiple hours of successfully walking through the city, her theory was squashed. No police or White Lotus guards came to drag her back to the Southern Water Tribe. So her final theory was that it had to do with the coins. Perhaps Water Tribe members were discriminated against? That couldn't be right though. The old man in the tailor shop hadn't treated her with venom or malice.

Korra groaned and clutched her stomach. Even on the voyage to Republic City, she hadn't felt this hungry. Lee had always provided enough scraps of food to last her the entire day. It also didn't help that Korra had expended a lot of energy today. Sitting still in the cargo bay of a ship all day was one thing, but moving nonstop and exploring an entire city was an entirely different animal.

Deep in thought and more concerned about the lack of food her stomach, Korra forgot to watch where she was going. The little energy she had in her system was so devoted to finding another restaurant that she didn't notice the two males in front of her. Clearly, she was getting low on energy - she didn't even notice the bright red ferret perched atop the shoulders of one of the teens.

"Watch it!" the taller of the two barked out.

She cringed and began helping the younger male up. He was younger than her and had green eyes, suggesting he had Earth Kingdom roots, "I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." Korra smiled timidly and sidestepped out of the boys' way.

The elder spoke up, fixing his red scarf around his neck, "Clearly you -" he stopped mid sentence before his eyes filled with recognition, "I know you! You're that girl!"

Korra's mind filled with panic as she realized these two strangers had recognized her face from the dozens of posters that had been dispersed throughout the city. She gave a timid grin and waved him off, "You _definitely _don't know me..."

"No! It's definitely her!" the younger teen perked up, his fire ferret also giving Korra an inquiring look.

And that's when she took off and ran.

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**a/n - I know, I know. Not much Korra in here. Lots of Mako and Bolin though. Sort of gets the plot rolling more. **

**Lin Beifong is going to be sooo much fun to write. She's a complete badass with a hardy exterior and a very complicated interior. I love Tonraq, but because of his history with the spirits I feel like he would be less than trusting of them to return his daughter.**

**Hope y'all enjoyed this chappy. Next one is going to be filled with Korra's perspective. Zuko is also going to be making his debut. We'll be seeing more of Lin and Tonraq too.**

**One last thing you lovely people... Review! Let me know what I'm doing right. Let me know what I am doing wrong. Let me know which characters you want to see more of. All that shit and more...  
**


	3. Pitch Black

**Disclaimer: Don't own LOK. If I did, things would be incredibly different.  
**

**a/n - What's up? I got 0 reviews for that last chapter... what did I do wrong? You gotta let me know! The best way is to review. I need feedback, y'all!**

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Chapter 3 - Pitch Black

The girl sped through the streets with reckless abandon, running around stalls, under carts, and jumping over low standing displays. Make could tell she was quick, agile, and definitely in shape. Her ability to leap and switch directions on a dime also meant she was quick thinking. Perhaps she was a member of the Red Monsoons after all? They tended to recruit street-smart and feet-smart benders. Her blue eyes - the small glance had - fit the profile of a waterbender. He had no doubt she could waterbend.

The two brothers sprinted after the girl, attempting their best to avoid the various obstacles in their way. Breathing heavy as he ran, Mako yelled to his brother, "Bolin, earthbend and block her way to the docks."

"The docks?" he gave the firebender a perplexed look, "If she's a waterbender, she'll have an advantage."

Mako nodded, "But we'll know if she's a waterbender or not that way. It's important to know if the Monsoons have planted these coins or if this was just dumb luck. Besides, there's two of us and one of her."

Bolin seemed uncertain, but obeyed his older brother. The firebender was usually right when it came to these things. He watched as the girl started to round a corner. He paused his run and steeled into an earthbending stance, flicking his wrist and creating a wall to block her. Several merchants yelled insults at the sudden disruption of the earth, causing Bolin to cringe and apologize as he continued to pursue the girl.

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.

.

They _really _wanted to catch her. That much was certain - they were contributing just as much effort into chasing her as she was putting in to avoid them. She banked right, ready to disappear into a busy street when a wall of solid rock emerged from the earth. She cursed under her breath and turned around and made a break for it. Another wall appeared, forcing Korra to continue her original route. The boys were catching up with her, but it seemed like they were deliberately staying back.

Walls continued to emerged in Korra's path, and she suddenly realized hat they were guiding her in a certain direction. She realized now was the time to make her decision. While she could continue to assume the identity of a non-bender, that would be a senseless idea if she came to be in danger. Korra was quick and good at avoiding people, but an Avatar without an element to bend was an Avatar without meaning.

Air would probably be the most useful - it was non lethal and could help her escape any confrontations like this. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to airbend. Even if she had that knowledge, there was also the detail that the only airbenders currently living were all decedents of Avatar Aang or the Avatar. Clearly she was not one of Tenzin's kids, so she would quickly be pinned as the Avatar. That, or if found she would be instantly delivered to Tenzin upon the pretext that she was a miracle who needed to know more about her airbending culture.

Water would be practical. She could easily assume the identity of a waterbender flawlessly. Her blue eyes, dark skin, and natural affinity for the element were dead on. It would be the smartest route to go, but water wasn't always available. If she founded the need to defend herself in a room without any water, she would be in trouble. She needed an element that was ready and available at all times. Something dependable.

Korra continued to followed the maze one of the boys was making. She hadn't been able to tell which of the boys was the earthbender. Between earth and fire, the most available element was easily fire. One could produce it out of thin air - literally. It was quick, strong, and definitive when it came to sorting out fights. However, it was also the most lethal and destructive. While Korra was with absolute certainty she was capable of wielding the element with ease, it was also one of the elements she had not 'officially' mastered.

That left earth. While not always available, it was more likely she could find it in the city than water. It was also strong and sturdy, but didn't necessarily have to be lethal. Korra had also mastered the element with supreme confidence. Out of all the elements, earthbending seemed the most appropriate and reliable. With so many Water Tribe immigrants, it wouldn't hard to pass herself off as a mix of the two nations.

She hadn't realized how long she had been running until she reached the openness of the harbor. Their chase had begun in the heart of the city - kilometers away. These boys were beginning to get on Korra's nerves. She watched as the water grew closer with every step, the thought of bending it and soaking these boys growing tempting. She spun around and watched as they too slowed to a halt. Like the Avatar, both were panting. The younger of the two placed his hands on his knees to keep himself upright after the exertion of energy.

Korra stepped into her bending stance eyes heavy and concentrated.

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Mako watched as Bolin gasped for air. Sweat dripped onto the elder brother's cheeks from his forehead and down to his neck. He wasn't complaining though - the firebender liked the rewarding feeling of doing something productive. It was better than collecting debts and hassling lowly store clerks. He watched as the girl got into a stance that seemed oddly famili- a chunk of rock and stone was hurled toward him with deadly intent.

The firebender ducked, narrowing missing being hit by the ball of gravel. He watched as it made impact with a building close by, smashing into thousands of pieces before it completely demolished the wall. The whole Red Monsoon theory officially could be thrown out of the window now. The Monsoons didn't accept earthbenders. So why was she carrying so many of their coins?

Mako immediately launched into the offensive, sending several punches and wide kick which produced several large bursts of fire at the girl. He watched as she moved with relative ease to avoid them, as if she were used to going up against his element. He tried again, this time producing a steady stream of his element. The girl simply put of a wall of earth, cutting off the flow of molten heat that left his fingertips. He growled in frustration and ground his teeth. She was _good. _Perhaps she had some run in with the Agni Kais. She wasn't afraid of fire at all - unlike many others who had crossed his path.

She motioned her hands stiffly, shooting a hand forward with purpose. A line of rocks split the ground, heading his way. Mako jumped, simultaneously throwing fire at her, which she once again dodged - although this time it was much more of a narrow miss. The battle between the two benders seemed like a futile effort from both sides. Two steel walls, impenetrable forces that would not yield.

"Stop!" the yell cut through the tension like a knife. The earth engulfed her feet. Bolin looked at the girl with wide eyes, "We just want to talk to you!"

He could tell she was contemplating on earthbending her way out. It wouldn't have been difficult. Instead, her blue eyes - so uncharacteristic for an earthbender - narrowed, "I don't have anything to say."

"Why did you run?!" Mako demanded, his stance equally as defensive as when they were in the thick of the fight.

"Mako..." Bolin chided. He sounded more like an older brother at that moment.

The girl's body language was still tense. Her shoulders tight, jaw clenched, and hands balls into fists, "Because you chased me! What do you want?"

"We want to know where you got the Water Tribe coins."

Her face relaxed considerably, "That's what's this is about?" With a flick of the wrist she brought herself out of the ground.

In response the firebender held up his hands, threatening to attack if she dared to move a muscle, "What did you think it was about?"

"N-nothing."

"So where did you get them?"

"They're mine."

The elder brother rolled his eyes, "We know that. But _where _did you get them? Where can we find more?"

"Why do you need more? They're useless. Nobody here will take them."

Oh. So she didn't know the weight and alternative meaning the Water Tribe currency held. Mako sighed, "We'll give you real money for them."

She placed her hands on her hips, "You didn't answer me. Why do you need them?"

"They're important... to my boss."

"Why didn't he come and ask me for them?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?"

Bolin coughed to gain the attention of the two warring teens, "We're getting off topic...," his voice was high in pitch as he said the last two syllables.

The blue eyed earthbender chewed the inside of her cheek and looked at the two boys, "Buy me some food and I'll give you some of my money."

"I'm not taking you out to dinn-"

"Sounds good!" Bolin interjected, gesturing for the girl to follow before things got too out of hand, "I'm Bolin and this is Mako.".

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Tenzin had traveled day and night, pushing his poor sky bison to the limit. The furry beast groaned in exhaustion, drifting closer and closer to the ground before it finally collapsed, a heap of fur and muscle. The old airbending master patted the animal on the head before sighing and sliding off. He knew his father wouldn't have panicked like this. He would have been calm and concentrated. Tenzin was so much like his father, but he couldn't maintain such a calm facade. Korra - the girl who was responsible for peace and harmony in the world was missing. Absolutely no one could know. Rebel groups would jump at the chance to create havoc in a world where the Avatar was absent.

By Tenzin's estimate he was just over halfway there. He was making incredible time, having landed on the shore of the Earth Kingdom, just west of the swamp. The land was quite boggy, and you could tell it wasn't too far off from the overgrown vines and waters that could swallow a man whole. His sky bison crawled over to a swampy patch before burrowing its belly and snout into the cool mud. It seemed Tenzin would be bathing his gigantic, six legged mount in the near future.

He sought out a dry patch of land before sitting cross legged and opening up a piece of paper and taking out a pen to write with. There was one more person who needed to be informed about Korra's disappearance. One person he _knew _that Tonraq hadn't contacted. He was dreading this letter, but it was time.

.

.

.

"This food is great, Bolin!" Korra grinned at her "fellow" earthbender. She liked Bolin. He was friendly and didn't question her motives despite her earlier actions. When he inquired about her name, Korra quickly improvised, smoothly stating it was 'Kor'. Not the most creative name, but it was practical and reasonable. She could tell Mako was _not _a fan of her. Even after the hostilities had simmered down between the two, Mako still seemed suspicious and on edge. Korra found this to be slightly amusing.

"This is my favorite place to eat in the city. Mako doesn't like it though," the younger sibling nudged his brother. He dropped his voice, as if telling Korra a secret, "Must be an earthbender thing. Those firebenders are weird."

The Avatar smiled knowingly, thinking about her Nameless Sensei, "Tell me about it. Firebenders are a different breed..."

Mako rolled his eyes, "Bolin, just let her eat."

Korar's eyes lit up as she welcomed the challenge that the firebender had presented, "Mako, nice firebending moves earlier today."

The elder brother looked at the girl suspiciously, "... Thanks, I guess?"

"Too bad you couldn't touch me with them."

"Your earthbending wasn't exactly the epitome of accuracy either."

Korra scoffed, "I can firebend ten times better than you and I'm younger than you!"

The brothers instantly delivered strange looks to the girl as they absorbed her words. Mako seemed furious, taking her words as an insult. While that was its intent, there was absolutely no way she would be telling these two what she really was. The Avatar became momentarily flustered because recovering, "I mean, I'm an earthbender and I have more firebending skill in my little pinky than your entire body." That came out _much _more harsh than the snide comment she originally planned.

Mako stood up and slammed his palms on the table, "You couldn't even touch me in a real fight!"

"If I had wanted to finish you, you wouldn't be here," she warned.

"So, Kor! You're an earthbender like me?" Bolin cut in, hoping to defuse the situation, "Why do you have blue eyes?"

Korra took a deep breath. If she wasn't careful she'd do something that would blow her cover. She smiled and looked at her favorite of the two teens, "My mother immigrated from the Water Tribe and my father was born and bred in the Earth Kingdom. What about you two? You're brothers, but bend two different elements."

Mako sat down and crossed his arms, "Isn't it obvious? Dad was from the Earth Kingdom, mom was from the Fire Nation."

"Were you born in Republic City?"

"Yep," Bolin replied, "We've been here for all of our life. Isn't that right Mako?" Mako grunted in reply.

"Are your parents -"

"Dead? Yeah. Thanks for your concern," the elder brother snapped coldly.

Korra looked down at her empty plate of food, "I'm sorry. My parents are alive, but they're in the Earth Kingdom right now."

Mako fidgeted in his seat, impatience radiating off of him, "Where did you _really _get these coins."

"Back to the coins again?"

"Yes."

"I got them from my mother before I left." Mako seemed to accept this answer, and Korra was relieved. "What is the significance of the coins to your boss?"

Bolin's inquisitive gaze met Mako's unsure one. He hesitated before seeming to weigh his options. Korra had leverage over the firebender and she knew it. "They're of significance to a rival group."

"Rival group?"

"You really haven't been here long, have you? A rival triad."

She had heard mumblings of the triads while she had been wandering the city, but didn't make much of it. She was probably getting into dangerous territory - but her 15 year old curiosity was unwavering and overwhelming. "Why are they of significance?"

Bolin fiddled with his fingers and let his brother speak. He was obviously in discomfort about the subject, "They use these coins to identify themselves."

Everything suddenly clicked in her mind. From all the rejected payments at the food stands to the worried and fearful glances she received after brandishing the coins. They believed she was part of this rival triad. They believed she was threatening them with the coins. "That explains a lot," she muttered out loud. Shoving a hand in her pocket, Korra gathered the coins and set them on the table in front of Mako, "Take them. I don't need the trouble that comes with them."

Mako seized the opportunity to snatch up his prize, a satisfied look on his face. Silence blanketed the group as he pocketed the Water Tribe coins. In exchange, he placed a handful of currency - Korra assumed it was Republic City's universal currency - on the table. By the looks of it, it was enough for the meal and more.  
He stood up, nodding for Bolin to follow suit. The young earthbender looked at Korra with an apologetic look before imitating his brother, "It was nice meeting you, Kor. I hope we see each other soon."

The firebender muttered something incomprehensible under his breath before they both turned to leave, to which Korra rolled her eyes. "Nice meeting you too Bolin."

.

.

.

Lin gave the young officer an incredulous look, "What?"

"The shopkeepers say there was a disturbance. Earthbending, it seems."

The Chief of Police motioned to their surroundings, several earth-bent walls erected and blocking the way through certain streets, "It doesn't take a genius to get that. Any idea what happened to them?"

"The route that was designated by the walls finished here, at the docks. There are scorch marks and signs of a powerful earthbender."

Toph's daughter narrowed her eyes and examined the scene. Indeed, the earthbender had been talented. The boulder that had made impact with the wall created minimal damage. The bender had dismantled the rock into small, gravelly pieces before it could destroy the wall of the building. The scorch marks had hit a wall created by the very same bender. A particularly strong stream of fire had melted down a good chunk of the rock.

"We believe that it was Triad related. Probably an Agni Kai against a Triple Threat."

Lin shook her head, "No."

"No?"

"There are several reasons," she began, pointing at boulder resting at the side of the building, "The Triple Threats don't have a bender this powerful. They would have used him before. Also, if this guy was so powerful, why put him up against a single lowly firebender. The firebender wasn't too shabby of a bender, but he was a single person. The most damning evidence, though, is that the Triads cover their tracks. This is not clean work."

The young officer nodded in agreement at her words, "Then who did this?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Lin muttered. With a thrust of her arms, she pulled the scorched wall of stone down into the earth. "Go clean up the rest. We've examined the scene well enough." She didn't like when people dirtied up her city. She especially didn't like when she didn't know _who _the culprit responsible was. Lin would find them. The poor bastards would be sorry when they were caught.

.

.

.

Zuko was growing old. In all his years he would have never believed he outlasted Avatar Aang. Besides the time he had wanted to kill the Avatar himself, of course. Zuko had made amends with Aang of course. He never thought he would outlast Sokka and Suki as well. The couple had passed away hours apart; it was a perfect way to cap off their extravagant lives and relationship. If there was one thing that he had learned from the monk, it was that life was precious. He had partnered with the Avatar and brought the Fire Nation through one of the most difficult times in its history. The post-war repercussions were disastrous. After being at war for a hundred years, the country had a difficult time adjusting. Debt, lack of job availability, and a high amount of criticism surrounded the young Fire Lord. Coupled with fending off Ozai loyalists, dealing with his sister, searching for his mother, and decolonizing certain territories, he was a busy man. With Aang's help he was able to forge relationships and receive aid from the other nations.

He had long accepted his retirement. His daughter had officially taken over the mantle of Fire Lord for him a year ago, but she had been running the nation for a while prior to that. His time to join his friends was approaching closer with every second, and he was simply happy that his country was in good hands. Now approaching his 90s, he was not the young man he once was. Such information made itself known, especially during times like these, "Lord Zuko? Sir? Are you alright?"

The former Fire Lord blinked and nodded at the man calling his name. A messenger - one could tell by the clothing he wore. While many styles had changed during the past 70 years, he had kept many of the robes within the palace to a traditional manner. "A letter for you, Lord Zuko," the man announced proudly.

Zuko grasped the paper in hand, "Send for my grandson. I know he is home. I will need his eyes to read this."

As if on cue, the enormous doors creaked open, Iroh entering. Zuko smiled fondly at the boy, "Nevermind. You are dismissed."

Iroh approached his grandfather with a curious expression, "Did you need something? I was just coming in to tell you I am leaving again." The boy - no, man. He had grown into a man long ago - had briefly visited home while between his services in the Navy. He had recently completed another 4 year tour of duty. As a General, he was in high demand. Zuko couldn't have been prouder.

The elderly Lord held out the scroll, "My eyes are not what they used to be. They strain to read print. Please read this to me, Iroh."

The Prince nodded as he broke through the seal on the letter, "This is from the South Pole," he supplied before viewing its contents.

"Lord Zuko," the General began, "It brings me great regret to inform you that due to a miscalculation on the behalf of the White Lotus, the Avatar has gone missing."

He paused from his reading, waiting to see if his grandfather had something to say. When the Fire Lord motion for him to continue, he obeyed, "She left the compound three days ago on her own accord. We believe she is in the South Pole still. I doubt it. She is a smart girl who probably left on the boat to Republic City the day of her disappearance," Iroh paused and looked at the bottom of the paper, "It's from her sensei," he concluded.

The man had always been blunt and straight to the point. Zuko frowned, "It doesn't surprise me that firebending frustrated her to these levels."

"How do you know firebending had anything to do with it?"

"As somebody who heard plenty of stories from Toph about Aang's struggles with the element most unlike his own, this is the only conclusion I can draw."

Iroh shrugged, "That makes sense. You did send her the biggest hard ass in the entire Fire Nation as a sensei."

"Only because he reminded me of Jeong Jeong, Aang's first teacher," Zuko defended, "Send word to her sensei that he is to leave for Republic City. I trust the old man's instincts."

"Calling another man old, grandfather?" the prince chuckled light-heartedly.

Zuko smiled before his expression turned serious, "This goes without saying, but this information does not leave this room."

"Of course. Shall I inform my mother?"

"Please do. Safe travels on your voyage, Iroh." He reveled in delight every time he was able to say the boy's name. It brought back warm memories of jasmine tea and unconditional forgiveness.

* * *

**a/n - Mako's firebending isn't all that great at this point in his life. He gets a lot of training from Lightning Bolt Zolt in the series, which make him a superior bender. Here he is simply average... but that is bound to change! **

**Like the series, he and Korra aren't going to hit it off right away. They have opposing personalities. Only this time it's going to take a lot more effort to gain his trust and respect with the whole "Avatar" thing. **

**Lin's on the Avatar's trail! Everyone seems to have Korra's whereabouts wrong except for Zuko and Nameless Sensei! **

**How long will the secret that the Avatar is missing last?!  
**

**Next chapter is going to be fun. Korra really begins to get herself tangled in a web of lies the next few chapters. **


	4. Soft

**Disclaimer: I don't own LOK. If I did, the show would be much more complicated and have a progressing storyline that spans for 10 seasons.**

**a/n - At the time I am writing this, I got 4 reviews for the last chapter. Thank you so much! I can't begin to describe how wonderful those reviews are. Also a big thank you to Full Deck - who pointed out about a dozen mistakes and inconsistencies (specifically the part about Korra not being able to airbend yet). I have attempted to edit everything, but am going to go over it a bit more.  
**

**This chapter is my favorite so far... but the next is even better!**

* * *

Chapter 4 - Soft

It was early the next morning when they met up with Shin. The bright glow of the sunrise still filled the sky. The two brothers' silhouettes were visible in as they walked across the empty expanse of smooth pavement and toward the rusting metal warehouse. Drops of rain echoed throughout the abandoned building, fresh from a rainstorm the night before.

Shin was as immaculately dressed as before, leaning against an equally immaculate and highly polished car. The setting was not anywhere near the level of prestige that Shin had set the bar at, but it was a common meeting place for the Triple Threats to conduct business discreetly. The waterbender smoothed his hair back before pushing off of the vehicle and greeting the two brothers.

"I assume you found my coins?" the man didn't really ask it, but rather spoke in an expectant tone.

Bolin nodded and handed them over. The waterbender examined one from the pile, as if the two boys were at risk to provide him with false materials. The corner of his mouth curled into a small smile, "Excellent, excellent. Here's your pay for this week, boys." A wad of bills was tossed in the younger brother's direction, the earthbender having to react quickly to catch them without Pabu falling off his shoulders.

Mako's eyes were glued to the Yuans for a moment. That was _a lot _of money. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, "You paid us."

An eyebrow was quirked in the firebender's direction, "So I did. I'll take it back if you're complaining."

The younger brother clutched the money in his arms, quickly reacting to the senior triad member's threat, "That won't be necessarily!"

His brother pushed on despite Bolin's discomfort, "Zolt usually sends someone to deliver our money."

"What if I am the man that is delivering this week?"

"But you aren't," Mako's voice was skeptical and abrasive.

Shin pocketed the coins and held up his hands in submission, "Alright, you got me. I've talked to Zolt about this whole plan. I was originally going to have us infiltrate the Monsoons over a course of months, but he thinks that an immediate attack is possible without completely blowing our cover. Both of you are going to be joining us in this little event."

"We're not going going to participate in your turf war, Shin," the elder brother gritted his teeth. He placed a hand on Bolin's shoulder and began to guide him away from Shin. He felt sick to his stomach even thinking about exposing his little brother to that kind of danger. While the earthbender was far from an innocent youth, he wasn't ready to be subjected to the violence and ruthless life of a what a _real _Triple Threat went through.

"On the contrary, you are. Zolt's orders." The name Zolt commanded authority. Mako and Bolin had met him once when they first joined the Triple Threats, and they came away with the same impression that they would be better off not crossing him. Since then, he was simply a name with a powerful pull on the entire triad. If he had asked for them personally to join, then they didn't have a choice.

The firebender froze in his place as he absorbed Shin's words. The man was a tricky bastard, always able to find leverage without even lifting a finger. "When is it?" Mako clenched his fists at his sides, unable to find any way to get out of the dismal situation.

"Three days. Until then, you boys should enjoy yourselves and get your sleep," he smirked, thrilled he had won the battle of wills against the abrasive firebender, "And you might want to brush up on your bending techniques. Chances are you'll be required to do some damage." Without another word, the waterbender opened the door to his vehicle and slid in the seat. The machine thrummed to life seconds later, a small smirk sent their way from Shin before he sped off.

The brothers stood in silence, one brimming with frustration, the other only slightly concerned.

"Mako?"

The firebender stuck his hands in his pockets. On the outside he appeared calm and in control, but the placement of his hands was strategic to prevent himself from punching a nearby object or wall, "Yeah, Bolin?"

Pabu crawled down from his perch to peer at the Yuans. The fire ferret sniffed at the bills before returning to Bolin's shoulder. "It's not such a big deal, you know?" The two began their walk back to the city.

"It _is_, Bolin," Mako told him, "It really is. You don't know the kind of things these people would do. They don't care about anything other than themselves."

"They haven't been bad to us so far."

The firebender took a deep breath, "Only because I've been trying my best to shelter you from that."

Bolin didn't look upset, but he wasn't happy about his brother's words, "I don't need sheltering!" Pabu curled around Bolin's neck in a fearful response to the teen's sudden raised voice.

"Let's not get into an argument about this..."

"No, Mako. I'm 14 now. You can't shelter me forever."

"So many people have _died _because of this crap."

The earthbender's voice became quiet, "You're going to have my back and I will have yours. Those people didn't have that type of benefit." Mako could say nothing to that. Bolin knew his brother well enough to interpret it as a reluctant form of acceptance.

.

.

.

One week and one day. It had been one week and one day since his daughter had gone missing. Tonraq's mind had been everywhere but his duties as chief the last few days. His best men had been sent to scour the far corners of the South Pole in pursuit of the Avatar, a new group of warriors coming back each day to report the same news: they had found nothing. It frustrated Tonraq to no end. Not only was it is duty to protect the Avatar and keep her under the safest conditions possible, it was his duty as a father to protect his family. His only daughter had gone missing.

Katara's words from days earlier continued to resonate within his mind. It wasn't about _where_ she left to, but about _why _she left. It was also something he had continued to think about. He had pinpointed from his wife that she had been frustrated with her training. if Tonraq was perfectly honest, he hadn't been paying much attention his Korra's progress. He had been so caught up with maintaining friendly diplomatic relations with his brother's tribe that he had neglected his own kin. It was quite possible most of her stress had come from the rigorous training exercises she had been subjected to since she was a young child.

"Chief Tonraq," a male's voice announced, "we have spotted a large flying object approaching the village."

The Chief smiled, "That should be Master Airbender Tenzin. I'll go out to greet him."

Although it was late in the evening, the sky was clear and the sun was high in the sky. One of the many pros and cons of living in the South Pole was the prolonged daylight and darkness - depending on the time of year. The messenger had been right, the unmistakable sight of a large, six-legged creature was approaching. Tonraq could identify the small outline of a man perched atop the beast. It briefly crossed his mind that this was the way the air monks had traveled for thousands of years. This was the way that a 12 year old Avatar had traversed the entire world and eventually saved it. With all the airships and advances in technology, it was hard to believe that not 70 years ago the automobile had not existed and airships were just beginning to be manufactured.

Tenzin landed 15 minutes later, greeting the Chief with a bow. Tonraq returned the gesture before leading the man to his home. It would be safest to talk about such subjects there. One could never be certain of the wandering eyes and ears in the palace. The information they would be discussing was highly subjective.

"Tenzin," Tonraq greeted as they both sat down before the lit fire inside his home.

The airbender was quick to get to the point, "Has there been any word of Korra since you sent your letter?"

The Chief shook his head in disdain, "Nothing at all. I've kept in close contact with Lin, but the distance has caused a three day delay between each message."

Tenzin clutched at his airbending robes, the chill now getting to him despite his training to avoid such issues. He told himself it was his exhaustion that wasn't allowing years of meditation and body temperature regulation to take effect. "This is not good news at all. My father was never gone for this long."

"Your father is why I requested you here. I've been told you are like Aang in so many ways. What would he do? What would you do?"

"I... don't know. I wouldn't have left. I came here because I thought you would know why your daughter left."

This was not going as Tonraq had hoped. In his perfect world, Tenzin would have recalled a place that Aang visited in the Southern Water Tribe, someplace that Korra would have naturally been led to. They would have found her and order would once again be restored in the world. Such thoughts were a pipe dream. "We think she left because she was stressed about her training."

Tenzin place a hand on his bearded chin in thought, "Leaving like that sounds like something my father would have done. He would have left and gotten as far away as possible. By any means."

Tonraq swallowed hard and looked at his hands. She _couldn't_ have evaded all of the guards on the ship. For three days, nonetheless.

"Have you searched the entire South Pole?"

"Much of the region has been searched. I have a few more groups of men set to return with news over the next week. They're searching every nook and cranny in the entire South Pole."

"That's good news at least. I'll remain here until they all return," the airbender paused in his thoughts, "I have something to talk to you about."

"Does it concern my daughter?"

Tenzin looked uncharacteristically nervous, as if he was about to say something he would immediately regret, "In a way. I sent a letter to your brother... about Korra."

.

.

It was no high security compound in the Southern Water Tribe, but the room was comfy and homey. Despite the walls being bare, the furniture needing immediate repairs, and an odd smell of rust coming from the bathroom sink, Korra thought it was great. Its most redeeming quality in comparison to her old home was definitely the lack of White Lotus guards hovering over her shoulder and watching her every move. It wasn't located in the nice part of town, and she was pretty sure that the man at the front desk was sneaking sips from a flask of alcohol, but the hotel was cheap. Korra had been staying there for the past four nights and she still had enough Yuans from Mako and Bolin to last a few more days.

The issue of money was another looming issue. She needed to find a job or way to quickly garner a steady income that would at least give her enough to survive. The past three days the Avatar had been exploring the city and getting used to city life. While she had been careful to act discreet and not allow anyone to stare at her face too long, it seemed that her false identity was working flawlessly. Even with the fliers of her identity littering the streets.

Korra locked the door to her room and headed down the stairs to the lobby. She gave a polite wave to the worker behind the desk. His flask was clutched in his hand and his head was supported by his hand. The poor guy was clearly exhausted, his eyes weakly following her form as she left the building. It was later in the day than she had anticipated. The streets were bustling with activity, vehicles honking at pedestrians who weren't crossing the street quick enough. The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly on the 15 year old Avatar.

She set out across the street to her favorite diner. It was much like the hotel in the respect that it was not a place where high rollers would be seen. However, the establishment was cheap and they served excellent authentic Fire Nation cuisine. Korra pushed open the red door, the warm smell of meat cooking filling her nostrils. Inside the small room were 4 tables and a long counter that stretched the entire length of the restaurant. The kitchen was located behind the counter, allowing one to watch their food be prepared. Korra took a seat at the counter, where a burly Fire Nation man took her order.

"The regular please. No fire flakes on the ostrich horse eggs though."

"You sure you don't want them? They're our specialty."

Korra nodded, "I tried them yesterday and steam nearly blew out of my ears."

The man laughed, "Oh yeah, I remember you." She was pleasantly surprised he had recognized her. Her disguise had been working perhaps _too _well if the man who had served her food the last 3 days didn't know who she was. Blending in was one thing, but as a teenage girl, being invisible was not preferable. Korra had wanted normalcy, not invisibility.

The worker left to give her order to the cook before returning with mug of tea, "You liked lychee tea, right?" The Avatar nodded, "I thought that was you. We don't serve much of it. Most of our stuff is either spiced tea or types that General Iroh - the first one - was famous for."

"Do you know much about him? The late General Iroh, I mean."

The man picked up an empty mug and began to clean it with a cloth, "As much as any Fire Nation lad would know. He's considered a legend in some ways."

Korra took of sip of her tea before yawning. The worker smiled, "Stay up too late? You're in here later than usual."

"Yeah. I've been looking for a job. I'm getting low on cash."

The man was about to speak, but was cut off by a loud, crazed shout from the other side of the bar. "I know that girl!"

The Avatar froze in her place, looking down in order to avoid suspicion. From the corner of her eye she could identify an old man with tattered clothing, messy and ungroomed white hair, and one glassy eye. He held a piece of paper in his hand and waved it around furiously as he yelled, "That girl is the missing girl!"

Korra's friend behind the counter snatched the paper from the old man's hand, looking back and forth between the image and the girl herself. "It's her, I tell you!"

To her relief, the burly man shook his head, "This girl doesn't look anything like this poster. The facial structure is completely different. Now stop harassing my customers or get out of my shop, Uncle."

The worker continued to shake his head as his uncle left the shop, ranting all the way out the door. He gave Korra an apologetic look, "I'm sorry about that. My Uncle isn't the most stable man."

Korra held up her hands, "Oh, no problem!"

The man stared at the image in his hand before rolling it up and tossing it in the trashcan behind the counter, "You know, it is funny though. You're a waterbender just like the girl in the poster."

"Oh, I'm not a waterbender," Korra held up her hands in defense. He set the cloth and mug down and turned quickly to retrieve the girl's plate of food, placing it gently in front of her with a friendly smile.

He leaned forward on the counter with crossed arms, "You aren't a waterbender?"

"No!" Korra quickly replied, thinking of how the poster had specifically identified her as a member of the Water Tribe.

"Then you must be a firebender. You said you were at risk to have steam coming out of your ears, after all."

Before the Avatar could help herself, she nodded in agreement. She stuffed food into her mouth before she was able to dig herself further into her grave.

"That's excellent. In that case, I can get you a job with my buddy Renji."

With a full mouth, Korra cocked her head to the side, "A job?"

"Yeah. It's sort of a firebenders only thing. But don't worry - they pay well."

Korra wasn't sure if she was willing to take the plunge and tangle herself in a web of lies. She had already told those two boys she was an earthbender. Hell, she had demonstrated her earthbending to them. If they were to even get a glimpse of her firebending at this new job - by some strange chance - they would know exactly who she was. "How well do they pay?"

"To the tune of 500 Yuans per day, more depending on the job you do."

Korra was sold.

.

.

.

The metalbending Chief of Police opened the door to the station with reckless abandon. While she was not usually the type of person to directly express happiness and joy, this was overkill. Lin Beifong was obviously not happy. She walked up to the desk, the poor soul behind it doing his best to not be intimidated by her angry glare.

"I was called in from a very important investigation. This _better_ be important."

The man nodded, leading her into one of the solid metal interrogation rooms. A young boy sat at the metal desk at its center. He looked familiar. She studied his Fire Nation robes before immediately pegging him as the messenger who delivered Tonraq's letter.

"You brought me away from a_ very _important meeting with one of the triad's double agents for a little boy?"

The officer quickly began to elaborate, "We caught him stealing in the marketplace. He said he had important information for you in return for immunity."

Lin fumed, "What sort of information could child possible hold that is more important than an attack between the Red Monsoons and Triple Threats?"

"It's about the Avatar, Chief Beifong."

Lin's expression was unreadable, but the tension in her form dropped. She motioned toward the door, "Leave us. And don't allow anybody to monitor this conversation. If I hear that anything from it got out, then I will personally ruin the man responsible." She didn't have to ask twice, as he had left in a flurry of relief the moment she motioned to the door.

Chief Beifong walked toward the boy with a frown on her face, "Didn't I tip you? You had no need to steal in my city."

"The White Lotus members make me pay for their supplies out of pocket. I was hungry."

"Nonetheless, kid, you're in big trouble."

"My name is Lee," he told her, looking more courageous than any grown man Lin had faced all day. She had to hand it to the kid, it wasn't every day that a someone would be willing to subject themselves to a negotiation with her. Those who did came few and far between - and none of those fools had encountered her before. This kid was a different breed of person - a type that Lin respected. She wouldn't let him know that though.

She rolled her eyes, "Alright Lee. I take it you know about the Avatar's situation."

Lee nodded in response.

"Then you should know that any information is useless to me. I know _everything _about her situation."

"I know something... something that nobody else knows about Avatar Korra."

Lin sighed, ready to be disappointed by whatever he had to say, "Out with it, kid."

"Will you grant me immunity?"

"Only if the information is useful to me."

The boy looked down at his feet, guilt overwhelming him as the words spilled out of his mouth, "The Avatar is in Republic City. I aided her on the ship ride over.".

.

.

Korra was concerned she had arrived at the wrong place. This place was _shady. _As in, more shady than the hotel she was staying in times a hundred. She hadn't seen a soul in over two kilometers. The usually bustling streets of Republic City had transformed into a deserted wasteland over a mere 20 minutes of walking. The buildings were abandoned, ghosts of their days used during the initial industrial boom. She looked at the slip of paper in her hand once again, although Korra had long since memorized the address. It was this building. It definitely was. Though... that couldn't be right. It looked abandoned and in incredibly poor shape. Clearly this 'Renji' guy was not worried about how his place of business looked.

Korra stepped up to the metal door with a placid look on her face and knocked. Dead silence filled the air as the Avatar waited for a response. No one answered. She repeated her actions, this time making her knocks louder and more profound. Silence once again. She groaned out loud in frustration. Had the nice guy at the diner really set her up with a fake address? What was the point? Perhaps he had been mistaken... but even he had meant to send her to the place next door, that building also looked completely abandoned.

"All for nothing!" she kicked the door in frustration, a small fire emitting from her heel as it made contact with the steel. It felt good to be able to release by bending.

Suddenly, the door groaned on its hinges as it swung open. A clean shaven man with a buzz cut appeared, staring at the young Avatar intensely, "Firebender. Are you here for the Agni Kai triad recruitment?"

Korra watched the man, her shocked expression in reaction to his sudden appearance rather than his words. Before she could say anything, a pillar of earth erupted from the ground between the two, the Avatar narrowly avoiding being struck by it. It seemed her counterpart was not so fortunate in his luck, having been battered by another mound of rock emerging from the cement near his feet. The dust cleared, the man's form now visible. He clutched his jaw with his hand as he lie on the ground, the piece of bone clearly dislocated and hanging off of its hinges.

Suddenly, a male figure appeared from behind Korra, crouching on his knees next to the man that had been attacked. He looked back in the direction he had come from, fear visible on his aged features. With a deep voice he yelled at his allies, "This guy's not a Monsoon, Shin! What's an Agni Kai doing here?"

Korra was unable to see the ball of fire hurling toward her. She stood frozen in place, blissfully unaware that in a matter of seconds she would meet her end in a fiery inferno. Her mind was doing its best to understand what had just happened. Everything had happened so quickly. She was alone at one moment, and the next she was lying in what could have been considered a battle ground. Not only was Korra unaware of her impending doom, but even moreso of the quick hand that pulled her out of the way at the last minute.

Her savior's red scarf dangled loosely off his neck as he barked at her, "What the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

**a/n - Okay, so I know that may have been slightly confusing. Any/all confusion will be completely resolved in the next chapter.  
**

**Once again - I would LOVE to hear your feedback. Anonymous readers... I know how you work. Just take two seconds and review this. You'll make my day. I get so motivated to know I am entertaining people with my writing.**


	5. Grey

**Disclaimer: I am not Bryke, but if I were, I would own Avatar. Which is another way of saying I don't own Avatar because Bryke owns it.**

**a/n - In order to not be liable for the death of xXxLuvable14xXx, I present to you this chapter! Thanks so much for the reviews. There was an overwhelming response to the last chapter. Every time I saw I got a review, I got a huge grin on my face. To say the least, I have been a grinning fool the past few days.  
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**This was a bitch to write. I disliked how I wrote this at first and hated it, and then rewrote it four more times and still hated it. Don't know how I feel about it still.  
**

**Some nice Makorra in here for y'all. At least as remotely Makorra as we can get right now. Because this is going to be realistic and it's hate at first sight.  
**

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Chapter 5 - Grey

"What the hell are you doing here?" His voice - that damn boy with the red scarf - cut through Korra's daze. She recognized him immediately, with his dark black hair and tall and lanky form. He irritated her. Not because he carried an air of cockiness and arrogance - because he didn't - but because he was so guarded. Even as she propped herself up off the ground, having been yanked out of harm's way by him, he irritated Korra.

"What are _you _doing here?" she barked back, mainly to bother him. She was acting very un-Avatar-like, doing her best to disrupt the balance of the situation rather than maintain it. It was safe to assume her past lives wouldn't be proud of her behavior.

Mako - she finally recalled his name - gave her an incredulous look, as if he couldn't believe she had the audacity to ask such a thing. He glanced around him, the chaos having migrated down the street. "Saving your ass. Now get up and answer my question."

Korra didn't complain as she stood up, adjusting the shoulder of her oversized coat that had fallen down when Mako tugged her to the ground. She dusted off her sleeves before answering the firebender in a nonchalant manner, "I was inquiring about a job."

"With the Agni Kais?"

"Agni Kais?" she narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"The triad of firebenders that you were _inquiring about a job _with."

Korra shook her head, "That wasn't a triad - I was referred to the job by a nice man in a diner."

Mako gaped at her naivety. It was an expression she often received from her firebending master when he couldn't believe she had just done something. "Did the man in the diner happen to be a firebender? Did he tell you his friends were paying a ridiculously large amount of money?"

She crossed her arms, "So what if they were?"

Shouts could be heard from around them, echoing off of the nearby buildings, causing the teens to tense up and search for its source. It was impossible to identify where the sounds came from, but they were close enough to cause the framework of the structures around them to shake and dust to fill the air.

"We need to get out of here. Bolin should be waiting in one of these buildings," he cocked his head to the side, signaling for Korra to follow him.

Korra was surprised he didn't just sprint away without saying a word. She probably would have done so. As if he could read her mind, Mako reluctantly added, "Bolin will kill me if I don't bring you back. He was the one who yelled at me to pull you out of the way."

Without further word, they sprinted through the alleyway between the two abandoned warehouses. They passed a pair of benders, one slumped against the wall, another face down and unmoving. Korra still was uncertain of what was taking place, but whatever was happening was violent and unforgiving. They continued out of the alleyway until they entered an open area. This was where the noises were coming from; this is where the battle was unfolding. The Avatar reacted swiftly as shards of ice flew toward the pair with deadly precision, erecting a wall of earth to halt them in their tracks. In retaliation, she shot several chunks of stone in the direction of the attack.

"Careful! Some of those guys are with me," Mako warned.

"The Firebenders?"

As if to answer her question, a burst of flame was sent toward her. With a fluid movement, her firebending companion met the oncoming attack with an equal amount of fire. The two flames extinguished each other on contact. He gave her a tired look, as if preventing Korra from being engulfed by two bursts of blazing heat in a single day was an extremely tedious task, "The ones that aren't trying to kill us."

They moved with swift precision through the yard, deflecting the elements sent at them. In return, they would shoot a wall of flames or bend a spine of earth from under their enemies' feet. Korra couldn't help but think that they made a pretty good team. For all of the bickering and snarling they did at each other, they had a strange way of wordlessly communicating in combat. If she had all her elements at her disposal, they probably could have swept through the area in a matter of seconds.

Finally, the two benders arrived at an abandoned factory. Mako roughly yanked open the heavy metal door, Korra quickly shuffling inside to avoid the latest barrage of ice spikes sent at the pair. The firebender slammed the door closed, just in time as the spikes impaled the outside of the metal door.

"Kor!" Bolin's familiar voice greeted her. Her face lit up just at the sight of the young earth bender and his fire ferret. Pabu had wrapped himself around the boy's neck, curiously popping his head up to blink at Korra and Mako. He was kneeling next to a well dressed individual, holding a rag to his shoulder. The injured man seemed to be growing weak, but grunted in acknowledgement of their presence.

"Who's she?" the voice was hoarse and in pain.

Bolin looked up at Korra and Mako, "This is Kor. She's the friend who gave us those Water Tribe coins."

"What - careful, kid!" he flinched as Bolin pressed the rag into his injury. The poor rodent ducked into his shirt, startled by the noise, "What are you doing here?"

The comradery between the two benders seemed to have vanished the moment they entered the building, as Mako was quick to throw her under the bus, "She was meeting up with an Agni Kai, Shin."

She could see rage build in Shin's eyes, "What are you playing at, girl?" he stood up and ripped a piece of his shirt off. Tenderly, he wrapped it around his shoulder before making his way to Korra. He stopped close to her, looking down with an intimidating glare, "Working with the Monsoons and Agni Kais? Who sent you?" Despite his injured state, the man was extremely intimidating as venom laced his voice.

"I'm not working with anyone," she defended quickly, realizing she had unknowingly been thrust into a war between these three groups.

"Bullshit. How else would we be set up like this? Your trap worked - we were ambushed."

"Mako, tell him how this is a misunderstanding," the Avatar pleaded, glancing at him for his reaction. The firebender didn't speak - he didn't even look at her.

Thankfully, it was the younger brother that came to her aid, "Kor wouldn't do that. She's an earthbender! She couldn't be a Monsoon or Agni Kai." As if to demonstrate, the Avatar gave a powerful stomp on the ground, erecting a small tower of earth from the ground.

Shin did not seem impressed. He seemed even more critical than before, "Then what was she doing here? Just going for a stroll?"

"Mako," Bolin looked at his brother with wide eyes. She barely knew him, but the kid was already defending her. Apparently their bond as earthbenders meant a lot to him. If only he knew the truth...

The elder brother seemed to be warring with himself, as if he were debating on whether Korra's misery or Bolin's trust was more important. In the end, she knew that he couldn't sacrifice his little brother's happiness for a stranger's despair - even if she was purposely being the most irritating human on the planet. He sighed, "She was meeting up with the Agni Kai, but she didn't know who she was meeting."

His words seemed to garner Shin's attention. Between winces of pain the elder man looked between each of the teens, "You know I trust your opinion, Mako. What makes you think she isn't lying?"

"They were attacking her. Triad members don't attack their own." It was a silent, unsaid rule that ran within all of the crime syndicates in Republic City. You stay loyal and you don't attack your own members. While there were exceptions, this situation was not considered one of them.

"I don't trust her still," Shin muttered as he took a step back. Mentally, Korra thought the man was smart for that decision. She was, after all, completely lying about her identity. She was not Kor, the nondescript earthbender. She was Korra, the link between the spirit world and this world. Shin's widening smile send a nervous shiver down her spine, "...But I trust you, Mako."

Out of the corner of her eye, Korra saw the brother in question grow concerned. Shin had rubbed her the wrong way right off the bat, but she could tell that there was more to the wounded man than simply yelling at others. He had a cunning gleam in his eyes that even Mako didn't seem comfortable challenging.

He spoke like she wasn't even in the room, "Keep an eye on her. Don't let her out of your sight."

The elder brother crossed his arms, "I'm not babysitting some girl."

Shin shrugged with indifference, "You don't have much of a choice. It's either this or we bring her to Zolt for questioning."

"No!" Bolin's voice was filled with panic. Pabu reacted appropriately, sticking his head out of the earthbender's shirt in alarm. Korra could only wonder who Zolt was, and why he inflicted such fear into her fellow earthbender's being, but part of her really didn't want to know. Even Mako seemed to tense up at the mere mention of his name.

"Fine. We'll keep an eye on her. It better be only for a few days."

Korra felt oddly like a dog being passed on to a reluctant owner.

.

.

.

The room grew silent as Lin entered. While this was a customary response, it was different this time. Usually whenever she came out from interrogating a criminal, the chief was livid. Sweat would drip from her brow, her eyes glaring at an imaginary object in front of her. She would demand that they assemble a patrol unit. Patrolling was her most effective means of venting stress.

When she came out this time, it was an entirely different story. A small grin was plastered on her face. "Saikhan!" the man stood from his desk immediately. Unlike the rest of the frail and timid officers who worked for her, Saikhan was excellent at what he did. He didn't need to be told twice when he was given a job. He simply did it with no complaints. She liked him. She liked efficiency. With the way technology was advancing, Lin was certain she would have the resources to clone him soon.

"Yes, Chief Beifong?"

"Any news while I was... preoccupied?"

"We've received word of triad activity in the abandoned factory district. I've sent a dozen officers out to investigate."

Despite the news of crime within her city, Lin's strangely pleasant mood did not falter, "Any relation to what our informant was telling us earlier today?" Before she had been requested by Lee, she had been meeting with an informant for the Triple Threats. An attack was being staged.

Normally she would have never left such an important meeting, but the missing Avatar was her first priority. If word came out about the Avatar's disappearance, the crime levels in the city would rise immediately. She remember the response after Avatar Aang died; some of the quieter and less dangerous crime groups escalated their level of violence, believing that without the Avatar, the council and police didn't have the power to stop them. They were wrong. Lin was partly responsible for their demise, but it took years to completely resolve the issue.

"It looks like this was the planned attack they were talking about."

With a pause, Lin shrugged, "Why don't you go check the situation out as well? I'm going to be taking the rest of the day off."

"Are-are you sure?" he had reason to stutter. Lin never took the day off. Not even when she was too sick to sign her own name.

It was too late though. Lin was already halfway through the door. She was going to make a visit to Air Temple Island.

.

.

.

The trio walked through the streets of Republic City. Mako's hands were shoved in his pockets, looking as if he didn't want to be there. Bolin and Kor walked ahead of him, the younger of the two pointing out the sights of the city. Sometime during the group's defacto tour of the park, she had insisted they head over to Yue Bay. Mako wasn't sure how she had _not _seen the bay, but he didn't complain. They weren't too far from it, and the more time they killed walking around, the quicker he could rid himself of this babysitting chore.

"What's that?" Kor pointed at the island next to the Avatar Aang statue. Waves crashed against the base. Even from where they stood the elder brother could make out the large clusters of trees swaying in the wind. The plants' silhouettes were visible thanks to the single tower that stood at the island's center, emitting a bright light from each floor.

"Well," Bolin began, exercising his 'official tour guide' voice, "Here we have Air Temple Island. Avatar Aang's son lives there these days. It's home of the only airbenders in the world."

"Except for the Avatar," Mako muttered loud.

Kor shook her head, "The Avatar doesn't know how to airbend yet."

"You don't know that," the firebender argued. Was she just arguing for the sake of it at this point?

"I do," she crossed her arms. Mako could just see the cogs work in her brain as she attempted to form an explanation, "My mom is Water Tribe - just like her."

He rolled his eyes, "So you're telling me everyone from the Water Tribe is able to keep tabs on the Avatar? No one even knows where she's training."

Bolin cut her off by going back into tour guide mode, "And to the left is the statue of Avatar Aang! View his majestic gaze, forever watching Republic City!" He waved his arms vigorously out at the illuminated symbol of peace.

"That's not true, Mako. I know a man who makes deliveries to the top secret compound she trains in."

Again, the young earthbender attempted to distract the pair from their argument, "Over there's the Probending Arena! We'll have to see a match sometime!" he pointed to the strip of man made land that held a brightly illuminated building on it.

"Probending?" it seemed to gather her attention enough, and Mako was thankful. While a part of him thought her arguing was annoying and immature, he couldn't help but feel he had to answer it. He was a teenage boy, and he wasn't going to turn down a challenge. He wouldn't admit he enjoyed it. Because he didn't, of course.

"Probending is the biggest sport in the entire city. We should go to a match sometime, right Mako?" The elder brother simply gave a grunt. He wasn't about to break it to Bolin that if Kor wasn't out of their hair in a matter of days, they would be handing her over to the triad. He didn't want Bolin to become too attached. Pabu was enough of a pain in the ass to chase around.

"How does the sport work?"

"You use whichever element you bend to knock your opponent back through different zones on a huge platform over water. The last team of benders standing wins." Bolin's gestures grew more exaggerated as he spoke. Simultaneously, Pabu grew more and more confusion, cocking his side to the side further with each wave of the 14 year old's hands.

Kor smiled at him as they began to walk, "Where to next?"

"Well, we should get some dinner," he lifted his fire ferret into his arms, "Pabu's getting hungry! Mako, how many yuans do we have left from the last job?"

Mako reached into his pocket, expecting the texture of a thick wad of bills. Instead, he was met with air. He quickly moved his hands to the other pocket, and then back to the original for good measure. The same result followed each time, his fingers meeting the empty cloth of his pants.

"Check your pockets, Bolin," he ordered gently, "I can't find the money. I know we had at least half of it left."

"I don't have pockets in these pants."

The firebender groaned in frustration, "It must have fallen out this afternoon during the fight."

"Do you have any money Kor?"

Before she could reply, Mako cut in, "We're not borrowing money from her."

"No, it's fine," she insisted, causing his irritation to grow. It may have been his pride, but there was no way he would accept her money. He was physically and mentally incapable of such a feat.

"I thought you didn't want to go back to stealing?"

"I didn't say anything about stealing, Bolin. We're not going to do that."

Bolin let Pabu wrap back around his neck, and he nuzzled the warm fur like a scarf, "Then what do you suggest?"

Kor waved a few yuans in her hand, as if to taunt the firebender. He ground his teeth, "Fine. We're paying you back though."

The girl shrugged, "I won't complain about that."

The food stands in Republic City were few and far between, especially when you were near the probending arena. Fans loved to hit up the stands for the unique nation-authentic cuisine before and after the matches. On nights like tonight when one was awake past closing time for restaurants, the stands were alive and thriving. It wasn't long before the three benders arrived at a kiosk selling cooked turtle duck.

"We only have enough for two," Kor announced with a frown.

"Bolin and I can split ours," Mako supplied. The younger brother began to protest, but his complaints eventually turned into silence after Mako sent a look his way. Much to his chagrin, Kor paid for their dinners. The stringy man behind the stand put on a small show as he cooked their meals, flipping portions of the meat while waterbending spices into the pan. Several minutes later, she handed Mako a basket of friend turtle duck, decked out with delicious smelling herbs and spices imported directly from the Earth Kingdom.

"I've never had turtle duck," she announced before walking while taking a bite.

"I thought you were from the Earth Kingdom? Isn't this the most common dish there?"

She replied quickly, "I was raised as a vegetarian."

"And you just decided to start eating meat?"

Bolin appeared from behind them with a large grin on his face, "This stuff _is _great! And look! You guys aren't at each others' throats anymore. Or at least this conversation appears civil." Pabu leaned off of the teen's shoulder to snatch a loose piece of food, gaining a small chide for his manners.

Mako's eyes narrowed at the turtleduck in Bolin's hands, "Where did you get that?"

"The guy back there was feeling generous," he responded.

"Bolin," his stare was soft and filled with worry, "Did you steal that?"

"I was hungry Mako. We used to do it all the time..."

"But we don't do it anymore. We're above this now." He could see Kor wordlessly watching the conflict. He felt uncomfortable with her there. Their past was not something he enjoyed advertising. Hell, their current occupation was something he felt self-conscious about.

"Did anyone see you?"

As if on cue, the stringy man who had been manning the stand came running after them, his finger pointed directly at Bolin, "Stop that thief!" His yell garnered the attention of two nearby officers. If they had been _anywhere _else in the entire city, the police wouldn't have been involved. Every night there was a match, at least a dozen officers were stationed outside of the arena to keep the peace. Rivalries in Republic City were known to get quite heated.

"Who are those guys?" Kor motioned to the two metalbending police sprinting their way.

"Police," Mako grumble, "Now run!"

A coil of metal wire shot out near his feet, but Mako had been in this situation before. He may have not been a master at bending his element, but he knew how the police in the city operated an attacked. With precise footwork, he hurdled the metal coil.

"They're metalbenders?" Kor seemed shocked. He decided not to grace her with an answer, having been too preoccupied with brainstorming a plan to get them out of this situation.

"We need to split up. You two go left, I'll go right. We'll have an easier time losing them that way."

"Where... should we... meet up?" Bolin spoke between bites of his meal. Clearly he wasn't going to be returning the stolen goods.

"Head home."

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.

.

Korra's heart raced as she sped through the streets, taking a sharp left turn as Mako had instructed. Why hadn't she gone under the guise of a waterbender again? It would be so much more convenient to just ride a wave of ice instead of trying to dodge the metal coils sent after her every five seconds. Bolin was doing a surprisingly good job at evading the metalbender's attempts to capture him. She watched over her shoulder as Pabu clung onto him for dear life.

"Kor, watch out!"

She didn't see the officer hook his wire onto a nearby building, swinging above the pair and kicking Korra as he swung. She fell to the ground in a heap, the wind knocked out of her. Bolin caught up with her in a matter of second, standing defensively between her and the officer. She watched as a wall of earth rose to deflect the metalbender's latest attempts to seize the pair.

"Come quietly and we won't press further charges," he announced.

Bolin wasn't about to negotiate. His fierce and loyal side was becoming more and more apparent to the Avatar as he continued to defend her. She stood up in a swift motion, ready to aid her companion when a metal coil wrapped around her, gluing her arms to her sides and rendering her immobile. She fell back to the ground. Bolin's shock was apparent, as he too was captured.

"You're both under arrest for theft and attacking an officer," the voice was commanding. Korra was lifted to her feet by its source, an elder man with a steely expression. She suspected that sometime during the chase backup had been called. Unfortunately for them, it happened to be backup that was very good at sneaking up on people.

She gave Bolin an apologetic look as the iron ropes around their bodies were replaced with simple metal bindings which kept their hands together behind their backs. The pair was guided into the back of a police car. He smiled reassuringly, looking down at his shirt. Pabu had crawled down enough to replicate a large belly. She had to admit it was quite humorous to watch his 'belly' move around, his paws and tails occasionally giving him the appearance of a severely deformed teen.

Korra had never been arrested before. Chastised and berated by her masters, yes. Kept inside a heavily guarded compound, yes. Just never arrested and officially jailed before. Not that she had many opportunities. The experience was so new that it was almost exciting to her. As she walked through the station with Bolin, she couldn't help but to take in the sights and sounds as if her presence here wasn't a bad thing.

"Saikhan," an officer greeted.

"Jeong," he replied, "We have two new prisoners. Both are earthbenders with no metalbending capabilities. Place them in a metal cell. I will fill out the paperwork."

He was quick and to the point, having delivered the pair to 'Jeong' and turning to leave. Their new captor sighed before roughly pushing them forward and down the hall. The building was huge. It felt like they traveled forever to just get to their cell, a cold metal square with two metal bunk beds shoved closely to each other. A toilet and a sink rested on the far wall. It was a typical prison, mere bars separating the hallway from the cell.

"We'll be back for you two later. We need to fill out your paperwork and ID you," he turned and left, presumably to go escort another batch of prisoners to their cells.

At his words, Korra's heart stopped. Bolin took notice of her blank expression instantly, "You worried about something? Don't worry. We'll be out of here soon... Mako and I used to get caught a lot."

"How are they going to ID us exactly?"

He shrugged, hands still contained behind his back, "Either we tell them or they find it out their own way. The police work in mysterious ways."

"I'm from the Earth Kingdom... could they find out who I am?"

Bolin chuckled, "Why? You got a huge bounty on your head?"

Korra remained silent.

"I was just kidding!" he attempted to apologize. His voice became quiet and concerned, "...You aren't a wanted woman, are you?"

She wasn't sure what to say to him. He was so honest and trusting of her. If she told him she wasn't, she would be lying. Her face was probably plastered on every corner of every street in every nation. Yet, she needed to keep her identity a secret. Nobody could know. Her small taste of freedom was enough to have her addicted. Nothing in the world could describe the past few days for her.

"Will they be able to find out who I am?"

Bolin swallowed nervously, realizing she hadn't denied his friendly allegation. "Yeah, they would. They're extremely strict about the whole IDing process. You aren't getting out until you are identified - you know, in case you're a criminal on the run. They contact the other nations if they need to."

Korra leaned back onto the metal wall, closing her eyes in stress. The worst she had fear had become a reality. Minutes passed as she weighed her options. She could see him watching her closely, confused and concerned. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking right now. He knew she was hiding something big, and yet he wasn't pressing her for it.

"You're still going to be my friend, Kor," he whispered out loud. Those words were the tipping point. They made the decision for her, right then and there.

"Bolin," she finally spoke with a wavering voice, "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this..."

He could see the concern on her face, the seriousness of the situation at hand. Korra felt the metal binding on her hands and wrists heat up rapidly. She braced her muscles as she slowly pulled her hands apart, the metal bending and buckling after being softened by the heat. Her friend seemed confused as she displayed both hands in front of her.

"How did you do that? Can you metalbend?"

Korra shook her head, "No." A nervousness entered the pit of her stomach as she held her palm to him, igniting a small flame that illuminated the darkened cell.

"I thought you were an earthbender?"

"I am," she confirmed.

"But you're a firebender?"

"I'm that as well."

Realization suddenly filled Bolin's face, "You're the Avatar?"

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**a/n -BAM! The secret is sort of kind of a little bit out. The plot is progressing though!  
**

****** The next chapter may or may not be so soon. Classes are starting up in a few days and I am extremely involved in a couple sports on campus, so my availability all depends on my injury and if I am cleared to practice.**  


******Please remember to let me know what you think about the story and REVIEW! Tell me what you love... tell me what you hate. Tell me how you don't want to appear like an asshole by not accepting the ice bucket challenge. Tell me _anything. _I'm _lonely._  
**


	6. Breathe Slow

**Disclaimer: I'm sure you all get the point here. I don't own it. Any of it. I wish I did. But I don't. e  
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**a/n -I am a Tenzin/Lin shipper, so it took all of my willpower not to ship them furiously when writing Lin here. This _is _AU, but personalities and events in the past will remain the same.  
**

**Collectively, this was surprisingly easy to write. Perhaps because of all the amazingly supportive reviews I have been getting?! Hint hint!  
**

******Some news on my updates: I will attempt to get them out as soon as possible, but I have been cleared to practice and play... so between that, classes, and work, I am extraordinarily busy. Here is a quick update just to satisfy you all for a little while. **

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Chapter 6 - Breathe slow, breathe slow

_Earlier that day..._

Lin's journey to Air Temple Island was eventless. The operator of the ferry to the island was always on duty, waiting for passengers. His job must have been uneventful, Lin thought. There were only a dozen or so approved passengers, and the majority never used its services. They either traveled by bison or had no reason to travel to the island. It wasn't as if the secluded airbenders were exactly inviting. It was no secret that Tenzin liked his private slice of paradise to remain private.

The Chief of Police rarely ever visited. While Tenzin and she respected each other tremendously, they had a delicate past that was wisely not spoken about. If she just arrived without a good reason, the past would unavoidably come up - whether in jest or as a simple of handed comment. Lin would rather not be reminded of the days when she was young and foolish enough to let her emotions regarding Tenzin get the best of her.

She stepped onto the island with an air of calm radiating off of her. The usual wry facial expression had replaced her small smile from earlier. It was hard to smile on Air Temple Island. She walked along the path that weaved up the island, the path leading to where she would no doubt find Tenzin's little monsters - er, children.

On cue, a flurry of small feet stampeded her way. A burst of air greeted her, two young females using their airbending to leap and bound across the terrain.

"Who's that, Jinora?" the younger called as the pair stopped in front of Lin.

"I'm not sure, Ikki," she cocked her head to the side, "It's nice to meet you. Who _are_ you?"

Lin straightened up, her discomfort around children quite apparent, "My name is Chief Lin Beifong. Where is your mother?"

The one called Ikki gave her a toothy grin, "Chief? Of the police?"

"Can you metalbend?" the other shot in.

"Yes. Where is your mother?"

"You're like Miss Toph? Dad's told us so much about her!" Ikki evaded her question once again. _This _was why she never wanted children. Tenzin and Pema had to be saints to not lose their sanity every day.

"She was my mother," Lin's jaw clenched in irritation, "Speaking of which, where is yours? Is there somebody else I can speak with?"

Jinora seemed amazed, "Toph was your mother? Wow! She's the greatest earthbender in the world!"

Lin sighed, "Can I please speak to your mother?"

"Of course! She's with Meelo. Why didn't you just ask?" Jinora's little hand wrapped around her own and led her into the largest of all of the buildings.

Nothing had really changed, Lin observed. While Republic City had modernized buildings and architecture, Air Temple Island remain in the past. Even the inside reflected the time period of Tenzin's father's youth. Pema was sitting on a chair, her youngest child playing by her feet with a small wooden toy.

"Pema," Lin spoke with an emotionless voice. She didn't necessarily consider the woman her friend, but they were not enemies either. Pema was so kindhearted. It almost hurt the Chief inside to secretly dislike for the women. She was kind and had never spoken an ill word about her, yet Lin wanted so badly to justify her irrational opinion of her. It wasn't very fair.

Pema turned and gave line a light smile, "Lin. It's good to see you. What can I do for you?"

Lin coughed to clear her throat, preparing to launch into full-frontal professionalism, "I am going to need to request your radio lines. Unlike the ones at the station, they are private and completely untappable."

"Of course," Tenzin's wife stood up, patting her son on the head before guiding Lin through the home, "Does this have anything to do with the missing Avatar?"

It wouldn't hurt to tell Pema_. _If Lin didn't tell her, Tenzin definitely would. "Yes. We believe she is in Republic City. I want to relay these new details as quickly as possibly to the South Pole - but I cannot trust just anyone."

"Who are you going to contact?"

"There is a United Forces fleet in the vicinity. I should be capable of making contact with it by using your radio system. I plan on requesting their assistance to deliver this message. In code, of course."

They arrived in Tenzin's study, a room with various airbender trinkets and artifacts. Each had been meticulously placed on a shelf or wall with the utmost care. Pema motioned to the microphone and radio system on his desk, "Do you think it will be able to reach the ship?"

"Yes. Hell, with the way technology is booming, sooner or later we'll be able to contact other nations with these contraptions."

"That's incredible! It would be great to be able to contact friends so quickly," she replied. A crash could be heard from somewhere else in the house. Lin was immediately concerned, growing tense in fear that the airbenders were being attacked.

Pema simply smiled and waved it off, "Oh, don't worry. That's probably Meelo. He still is learning to control his airbending. Once he sneezed and knocked over an entire bookshelf!" she laughed at the memory. Lin wasn't very amused. Pema left to find the source of the noise, leaving the metalbender alone. Yet another prime example of why Lin knew she had made the correct decision to swear off children.

The Chief of Police fiddled with the knobs on the radio, concentrating as she set it to the correct frequency. Briefly, she tested her handiwork, "Come in, United Forces."

A series of shuffling noises could be heard from the other side of the radio feed, "This is the United Forces first division fleet. Who are we speaking to?"

"First division, this is Lin Beifong, Chief of Republic City Police. I have an urgent request."

The muffled sound of the microphone device being passed to someone else emitted from Lin's radio. Lin rolled her eyes as she awaited a reply, "Chief Beifong. This is General Iroh of the first division. What is your request?"

"Iroh? As in, Lord Zuko's grandson?"

"Affirmative."

Lin leaned into the microphone, as if she were whispering a secret to the machine, "Is anyone else in the room with you?"

She could hear Iroh's commanding voice request everyone in the room to leave. After a brief pause and loud clang of a door being shut, he replied, "Not anymore."

"I need a message delivered to the South Pole by tomorrow."

"How do you propose that to happen?"

"Your ships are more than capable of the trip."

"The South Pole is not within our jurisdiction to patrol, Chief Beifong."

"Send a single ship then."

"It isn't quite that simple."

Lin was becoming exasperated with this young man, "Look, I need Tenzin to get this news urgently. I need him to be back here as soon as possible."

She could hear him sigh, "What kind of message is so important that you contact us?"

"I need you to tell Tenzin that the package he was looking for is in Republic City."

"That better be some type of code. I'm not going to even entertain the possibility of sending some of my men out there if he simply received a delivery."

"It is."

Silence filled the room as she waited for him to reply.

His tone was low as he spoke, "Is this about the missing Avatar?"

Skepticism filled her voice, "How did you know about that?"

"I was visiting my grandfather when a letter arrived. We've already sent messages to her sensei to travel to Republic City - on a hunch. There was a snowstorm, which delayed the delivery, but it should be there in a matter of days."

Lin did _not _like when people interrupted her, "You're a step ahead of me it seems. We have confirmed the girl is in Republic City."

"I am assuming you have yet to find her?"

"That is correct."

She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke into his microphone, "Well, I guess that this means I don't have much of a choice."

"Not if you want the world to live another day without its Avatar."

"I'll be taking a smaller vessel myself. I trust my men, but even a message in code is too risky to give to just anyone."

The words seemed strange coming from Lin's mouth. She swallowed hard, disliking the taste of such foreign combination of words, "Thank you."

.

.

_"You're the Avatar?"_

"Yes," Korra said simply. Of all the things to make her feel nervous, it wasn't being attacked by triads or being arrested, but the thought of losing a friend. Her _only _friend. Being assaulted by a barrage of icicles and flames was actually preferable in comparison to this.

Bolin's eyes were wide. She could see emotions of excitement, surprise, and hurt welling up into a complicated expression on his face. She figured he was excited because it wasn't everyday that you met the Avatar. The last group of people who became friends with an Avatar ended up going down in history. Then surprised because he wasn't expecting it from the 15 year old who liked to create conflict with his brother. She didn't blame him, her spirit may have been thousands of years old, but her behavior said otherwise. Last but not least, she _knew _he was hurt because she had kept it from him.

"I trusted you though," he said as if to confirm her wrongdoing.

Korra was afraid of this - that he would be hurt and offended by her secrecy, "Bolin... I swear I would have told you if this were any other situation."

"What type of situation are you in?"

"Well, I sort of decided to sneak out of my training compound the other day. I was just going for a quick walk."

Bolin seemed confused, "And somehow you ended up in Republic City?"

"The walk turned into more of a vacation after I became of stowaway on a ship," She looked at him with hopeful eyes, pleading for forgiveness, "I'm sorry I kept it from you. I didn't know if I could trust you."

He didn't lash out, nor did he seem angry with her. Just upset. "I know, I just... I just felt we had a special bond as earthbenders. That you could trust me with anything. Now that I know you can bend every element, it kind of ruins the whole idea."

"Not air."

He blinked, "What about air?"

"You said that I can bend every element. What I told Mako the other day is true - I can't bend air."

"But you're_ the_ _Avatar _- you have to be able to bend air."

Korra shrugged, "I'm going to get training for it eventually from Master Tenzin."

Laughter burst out from the young earthbender. He held his sides as he tried to contain himself. The Avatar was still nervous and tense from her confession, "I didn't think that what I said was very funny."

"No! Not that! I was just remembering when you told Mako you were a better firebender than he was. Wait 'til he hears about this!"

She shook her head rapidly, "You can't tell Mako."

"Why? He's my brother though."

"He's just -" she struggled to find the right words, "I just - He doesn't like me."

Bolin smiled, "Nah, he is OK with you. I don't think you'll ever be best friends, but being dark and broody is just his weird way of accepting people."

Korra wasn't convinced, "You heard him though. I'm pretty sure if you weren't there, he would have let your buddy Shin send me to his friend Zolt. If he learns that I am the Avatar, all he would have to do is tell an officer who I am, and I would be out of your lives for good."

He frowned, "I don't like keeping things from Mako. After you become friends will you tell him?"

"I'm convinced Mako isn't interested in being friends with me - even if he knew I was the Avatar," she chuckled.

"I'll get you to be friends. Don't worry."

She rolled her eyes. She was feeling relieved that, although Bolin was hurt by her actions, he wasn't unforgiving. He seemed to be more upset about their earthbending bond not being as strong as he thought.

The teen in question turned to the iron bars that held the pair captive, "So how do you propose we get out of here?"

"I could just melt the bars like before. It really isn't too hard. The only thing I'm concerned about is getting out of here. It's like a fortress."

Bolin placed a hand on his chin in thought, "Kor, can you melt the floor?"

Korra looked down, the metal floor cold and hard, "I suppose I could. What good would that do us though?"

"We'll either hit a basement or rock. Either of those is better than this cell." It was a good plan. Though if they hit a basement, things could get tricky real fast.

"One more thing before I start Bolin," she said with a smile.

"Yeah?"

"My name is Korra - not Kor." With that having been said, she began to direct a steady stream of fire into the floor in front of her.

His brows furrowed as he took in this new bit of information, "I've heard of that name before - it was on the wanted posters. Those posters are of you!" She nodded as he continued, "They said to look for someone in Water Tribe clothing - are you not really from the Earth Kingdom?"

"I've lived in the South Pole all my life," she told him, watching as the floor began to glow red.

"Did you like it there?"

She shrugged, "I've lived in a heavily guarded compound since I was 4. The reason I'm so adamant about not being found is that I like my freedom more than being the Avatar."

"But being the Avatar is sooo cool," he complained.

"It gets to be a bleak reality once you realize that all the training you are going through adds up to a life of complete servitude. I'm never going to have this freedom again - why would I squander it?" The floor was visibly melting by now.

"I guess when you put it that way..." her friend muttered.

Continuing the flow of fire from her palms, she looked up at Bolin, "Can you try to earthbend and see if we're close to the ground?"

Bolin obliged, thrusting his arm upward. In response, Korra stopped firebending. A column of earth followed the teen's motion, lifting much of the melted metal up with it. The liquid oozed down the rock, quickly hardening from lack of heat.

"I guess that determines what we'll be doing next," he smiled victoriously at her, "Let's dig."

.

.

.

Saikhan took a bite of his dinner. He liked his job a lot - and he was good at it. It was just the paperwork that he would rather not have to handle. So before getting to the tedious process he resented so much, he decided to eat his dinner. His meals were spaced out methodically during the day. One in the morning before he arrived, one in the late afternoon, and one late at night. Three meals a day maximized one's productivity. Having them quite a few hours apart from each other allowed him to organize his schedule around them. Between breakfast and lunch he would work with detectives on ongoing investigations, between lunch and dinner he would patrol, and after dinner he would fill out paperwork.

The two criminals he had caught earlier that night weren't familiar faces to him, so they didn't pose a high level degree of concern to him. The boy was young, but not young enough to the point where Saikhan was concerned. There were boys, who at 4 or 5, got swept into the world of crime. He couldn't imagine that the kid was a day over 15 - a typical age for petty theft. The girl was a little bit older than him. Probably 15 or 16. She was different looking - something about her appearance nagging him in the back of his mind. He shrugged it off though and finished up his dinner.

When Saikhan sat at his desk and took out the proper forms for the two individuals, he paused. He didn't even ask for their names. Such was a breach of protocol. Criminals were to be photographed and then identified upon arrival. He would have to quickly gather the information. Lin wouldn't ever know. She didn't _need _to know.

He strolled down the hall casually, ignoring the insults and glares from the criminals being held in their cells. Such was the life on the police force. It wasn't his job to be loved - it was his job to keep criminals off the streets. The occupied cells became few and far in between, a signal that he was nearing the temporary holding cells.

The smell of burnt metal entered his nose immediately as he continued his walk. His eyes narrowed. These cells were designated for earthbenders only; no fires should be burning in these cells. They had solid rock, flameproof cells for that very reason. While metal was sturdy and tough, a powerful firebender could melt away the thinner portions of the cell and carve the metal into a weapon. Couple that with an earthbender, and it was a recipe for disaster. His comfortable pace had turned into a brisk walk, and the brisk walk into a sprint as he rounded the corner, only to meet an empty cell with a large hole inside. Pieces of earth were scattered around the room, having been displaced into it while the prisoners had created their tunnel.

He metalbent open the bars far enough for him to step through and inspect their handiwork. Judging by the newly hardened metal that had pooled around the hole, they were definitely dealing with a firebender. He peered down into the tunnel, noting it was quite deep. The earthbender involved wasn't half bad. It took skill to be able to dig a long tunnel, figuring out where to put all of that tightly compacted dirt and stone.

They were long gone, somewhere on the outside now. Lin was going to kill him.

.

.

.

Mako hadn't had any issues evading his pursuer. A few swift turns and quick thinking on his part completely confused the young officer. Mako had simply ducked into a crowd of probending fans leaving the match. The poor sap ran right by him, thinking that Mako had continued to race through the crowd. One of the men he had bumped into whilst hiding gave him an unamused look. The firebender shrugged it off, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked home.

That was five hours ago. Mako had waited five long hours, growing more concerned with every minute. He sat on the old worn down sofa in their equally old and worn down apartment. It wasn't luxurious by any means, but it also wasn't as bad as living on the streets. _This _was the reason they owed the Triple Threats. Regardless of its single-room state and rusted bathroom fixtures, it was a palace to the two brothers. Up until recently, they had almost always known the feeling of dirt under their heads as they slept.

He didn't know how long he should wait until he go look for them. Or rather, confirm that they had been arrested. He wasn't sure what he would do if it came to that. Perhaps Shin and Zolt could pull some strings? He held his head in his hands, stress running through him as the second passed without word from his brother and Kor.

The door was roughly thrust open, the muddy faces of Bolin and Kor standing on the other side. Mako ran to Bolin, bringing the kid roughly to his chest in a hug, "Are you OK? Are you hurt?"

He shook his head, "No. Kor took good care of me."

A sigh of relief escaped Mako's lips, "I was worried," he let go of his brother, looking at his dirt covered face, "Why are you so dirty?"

Bolin grinned sheepishl, "We had to dig a tunnel."

"What?"

Kor stepped in, "We had to dig a tunnel to escape the officers."

Bolin seemed to object for a moment before nodding his head. This small fact did not escape Mako, and he was immediately skeptical of her words. "You had to dig a tunnel? Why couldn't you just hide somewhere?"

Bolin shrugged, "Well, err... was a little tricky after back up showed up."

"And why did it take 5 hours to dig a tunnel?" the firebender crossed his arms.

"We kept running into buildings every time we want to go back up. Took forever to find a street," Kor replied. To Mako's surprised, she seemed to be speaking truthfully.

Bolin and Kor shuffled into the apartment, the small room suddenly becoming quite crowded. Bolin announced he would be in the bathtub if anyone needed him, either noticing the congested room or realizing he was tracking mud all over the room. Kor was in a similar situation, but after removing her oversized coat she was considerably cleaner.

Mako took a seat back on the couch, staring at Kor with conviction as she awkwardly took a seat on the floor. He watched as she leaned against the dark walls in exhaustion, looking back at him.

"So what really happened?" Mako finally questioned as soon as he heard the water start running in the bathroom.

"We had to dig a tunnel," Kor spoke in a nonchalant manner, as if it wasn't such a big deal. She brought her knees to her chest and leaned her arms against them.

He nodded, "I can see that. But I don't buy your reasoning for a minute."

"Bolin told you the same - and that's what happened."

Mako wanted to argue more. He wanted to tell her that he knew she was lying. He wanted to rip her apart, tell her she couldn't throw bullshit at him like that. Most of all, he wanted to know the truth. That wasn't what mattered though. What mattered was that Bolin was safe, he was home, and he was unharmed. Begrudgingly, he acknowledged he had Kor to thank for that.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"I told you -" she paused as she registered his words, "What?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Did you really just thank me?"

Mako rolled his eyes, "Just take the kind gesture and don't ask questions, Kor."

"You're welcome, I guess," she was still confused, "But why?"

"You brought my brother home. He might look like he has been rolling around in mud, but he is safe and in one piece."

"You care a lot about Bolin, don't you?" It may have been the first civil conversation she tried to begin since he first met her.

Mako nodded, "He's the only family I have."

"You're a good brother."

He wasn't sure what to say to that. He always knew how to reply to her witty remarks and tendency to stir the pot, but he lacked words for her complements.

"I still don't trust you," was all he could muster, reassuring himself that she couldn't change his mind even with her display of civility.

She nodded, "I know. I don't trust you either." For what it was worth, they at least were on the same page.

.

.

.

The sun rose, peaking through the cracks between the building of Republic City. Lin felt comfortable knowing that her message was on its way to the South Pole. Soon she would have Tenzin and Korra's firebending teacher to aid in the search. It would be much easier - much more concentrated when they arrived to comb through the city. They'd put an end to this little problem soon.

The Chief strolled into the police station, only to be greeted by her subordinate's unhappy face.

"Saikhan," she greeted roughly, "You're not in your office. Why?"

He cleared his throat, "Chief Beifong, there was an incident last night."

Lin attempted her best to keep her nerves down before hearing what on earth occurred while she was away. They both began the walk to their offices.

"We had two prisoners escape."

She concentrated on breathing slowly and not letting her temper boil over. With gritted teeth and a tense jaw, she inquired further, "And how did this happen?"

"We accidentally placed a firebender in one of the metal holding cells - with an earthbender."

"Why on earth would you do that?"

Saikhan swallowed, "I could have swore she had done earthbending when I apprehended her. Her friend was an earthbender as well - those types tend to stick together."

Lin froze, "Are you sure?"

"I was certain until I saw the melted metal."

Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she thought, "Did you get the girl and her companion's descriptions or pictures? What names were they going by?"

"Are they two individuals we should be concerned about?"

"Answer the damn question, Saikhan," she snapped.

"We didn't. I planned on doing so after I ate."

Finally, Lin couldn't hold in her temper any longer. A metal desk stood nearby, and she took out her aggressions on the poor piece of furniture. Her fist slammed into the metal, creating a deep indentation that resembled a fist. Her eyes were full of fire when she turned to the man by her side, "That is a significant breach of protocol!"

"I apologize Chief Beifong. It was my belief that it could wait."

"Apologies mean nothing, Saikhan. Our protocol is strict and _must _be followed."

"You're dismissed for the day. I need to think about disciplinary action for you."

.

.

.

Icy winds blew through the North Pole, the people clutching their warm parkas to avoid the wind's bite against their cheeks. Though most of the city was protected by a wall that acted like a barrier to the wind, the areas above were not so fortunate. Regardless, the messenger scampering through the snowy city adorned in Earth Kingdom robes, was still freezing his ass off. The city was a maze to him. It wasn't that he didn't know where his destination was. The man could see it very clearly; the tallest building on the furthest side of the city. It was a matter of navigating through the channels of water and the endless grids of homes made completely out of ice.

Finally, he came upon the steps of the grand palace. He held the scroll in his hand out as a guard approached him, spear in hand. "I have a message for Chief Unalaq's eyes only."

The guard roughly grabbed the scroll in the Earth Kingdom man's hands and began to open it. The poor messenger reached for the message, "This is from Master Airbender Tenzin! I was told to not allow anyone to see what was written!"

The guard paused, realizing that going ahead and reading it could actually have a great deal of consequences. "Fine. Go ahead and see Unalaq."

The messenger continued his journey, the great doors of the palace opening in unison. Unalaq leaned back on his throne. He wordlessly waited for the messenger to approach him. The messenger sprinted as quickly as he could to the Chief, very well knowing that the sooner he completed this damn job, the sooner he would be home and warm.

Unalaq took the letter without hesitation, opening it immediately. "It's from Master Airbender Tenzin, Chief Unalaq."

"I can see that," he said dryly. His eyes scanned the writing once more, "This is interesting news."

He turned to one of his nearby guards, "It seems the Avatar has gone missing, and my brother wishes to keep it a secret." Unalaq leaned back in his seat and sighed.

"Personally, I disagree with this philosophy," he added with shrug.

* * *

**a/n - YES! IROH IS BACK FOR MORE! And Unalaq is going to be stirring things up... in a bad way. I'm hoping everyone approves of Bolin's reaction and the interactions between each of the characters. I had been anticipating writing that for quite a while.  
**

**Your reviews mean so much to me. I get so pumped and ready to write whenever I get one. Keep them coming! Please take the 5 seconds to write one up and make my day! I can't express how great it is to see that people like this story.  
**


	7. Patience

**Disclaimer - Sometimes I pretend that I own Avatar, but my harsh reality is that I do not own Avatar.**

**a/n - I ended up not having enough room to fit everything I had hoped to in this chapter. So it's going to be dispersed into the next 2-3 chapters. Out of complete coincidence, this chapter is titled Patience. I come up with chapter names before I write the chapters.  
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**Also, it's 5 AM and I finally finished this thing. Totally worth it. A *little* bit of Makorra in here for yall. Next chapter should involve a healthy dose of it.  
**

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Chapter 7 - Patience

_"It seems the Avatar has gone missing, and my brother wishes to keep it a secret." Unalaq leaned back in his seat and sighed._

_"Personally, I disagree with this philosophy," he added with shrug._

He could see the guards' eyes widening at his words. Not about the fact that he disagreed with his brother - Tonraq didn't have the greatest reputation up north - but more so that the Avatar was missing. His features did not deceive him, but Unalaq was barely holding back a wide grin.

"Father," the voice came from somewhere in the shadows beside him. Its monotonous tone rang through the silent room of ice, "You said Master Tenzin sent this letter."

Unalaq turned to his 13 year old son, the boy's twin sister accompanying his side as always. His children were brilliant for their age. Sure, they may react in an indifferent manner to even the most concerning of situations, but they were incredibly smart and poised. Most importantly, they were loyal and followed him without question.

The Chief rested his chin in his hand and nodded, "So I did. What of it, Desna?"

"Was our Uncle not kind enough to send word himself?"

Unalaq liked how his son was thinking. Already, the decision to keep the news from the world was a problem to him for several reasons. The first being that Korra would be found much quicker if everybody knew what they were looking for. He didn't care that the wrong people may find her - he was willing to sacrifice that in exchange for having her back in time to execute his plans. More concerning was the fact that his brother would have almost certainly kept this secret from him if not for the old airbender's actions. Korra could have disappeared, and when he finally did need her for his own sake, it would be too late - he would never know.

The stupid girl was out there somewhere, slacking off rather than doing her duty and mastering the elements. It _was_, after all, an Avatar's duty to master water, earth, fire, and air - not that he cared about her duties. He cared about her being able master the spiritual aspects that the title held. However, there was a better chance of a wildfire in the North Pole than Tonraq allowing him to become her teacher before she mastered the four original elements.

While Tonraq's dislike of him would only be strengthened by his defiance, that was yet another sacrifice he was willing to make; so long as Korra was on track with her training, his plans could still come to fruition. When she was older and not under his brother's thumb, she would be able to make the decision herself to learn about the spirits. It helped that Unalaq considered himself _very _persuasive.

"It seems he was not," Unalaq finally answered, "Eska, wouldn't you consider it much more productive to allow the world to know this information? Especially the fact that there's a possibility of the girl being in Republic City?"

"I suppose," she replied dryly. He figured this was as good of an answer as he would ever get from her. If not for her status as his daughter, it probably would be an impossible task to find any suitors for her.

Unalaq stood from his throne, "That settles it then. I want this information released to our citizens. The more people we have searching for my niece, the sooner we will be able to find her and be able to ensure her safety." He motioned for a guard to scurry off and start spreading the news.

"What of the rest of the world?" Desna asked, his voice lacking much emotion.

Unalaq finally allowed himself to smile, "They say word travels fast these days."

.

.

.

_Four days later...  
_

_._

_._

_._

Korra was not amused. By the looks of it, Mako was not thrilled with these circumstances either. She could practically feel the frustration radiating off of him.

"Hurry up," he growled as she paced herself behind him, deliberately stopping to look at every shop and stand on the street.

Somehow Bolin had excused himself from collecting debts with Mako, citing that Pabu needed a bath. His elder brother had immediately called him out on the weak excuse, but Bolin continued to insist that bathing a small rodent took all day. Korra suspected it had something to do with his proclamation while they were in jail. The young earthbender wasn't kidding when he insisted that he would make sure Mako and she became friends.

"Shin isn't going to wait all day on us," the firebender tried to reason with her. Korra gave an exaggerated sigh, as if his request caused her a great deal of trouble.

She turned to Mako, a blank expression on his face. He yanked on the sleeve of her jacket and guided them into a restaurant. Korra's first impression was that it was way too empty in the place. Considering that it was lunchtime in one of the busiest areas of the city, there should have been at least a few tables filled up. It was eerily quiet, the only table being occupied by a familiar face.

"Mako," Shin greeted, all business and no fun. His appearance was much tidier than when Korra had last encountered him, though she noticed he avoided moving his injured arm as much as he could. Shin acknowledged her with a nod, "Bolin's little friend."

"Kor," she corrected.

The waterbender rolled his eyes and handed her companion a slip of paper, "Mako, here's your list. I expect all of the money back in an hour. Any later and you aren't getting paid."

Mako did not seem happy with this, and his discontent only grew as he read the long list, "One hour isn't enough time."

Shin shrugged, "That's too bad for you."

Mako turned to Korra, his frustration obviously growing to new heights, "Move. Now."

She didn't argue with him, simply hurrying along as he began a brisk walk outside and down the sidewalk, "How many stops do we have to make?"

"Four." The answer was short and concise.

"That's not that bad," she supplied.

Mako shook his head, "All four of these locations are at least fifteen minutes from each other. By car."

"We can split up if that would help."

"No."

Korra crossed her arms, "Why not? We would get everything done quicker."

"Because," Mako stopped walking, staring at her with intensity, "I don't trust you."

"Bolin trusts me," she argued, "Why can't you?"

"Whatever you've done to make him trust you, it's not going to work on me."

Korra scoffed. If she had told him that she was the Avatar right then and there, she was pretty sure he would be singing a different tune. Unfortunately that wasn't an option for her. The firebender continued to wordlessly lead the pair through the streets.

He curiously added, "Why are you guys so close now?"

"It's an earthbender thing, I guess."

"So you're saying if you were a firebender, we would automatically trust each other unconditionally?" Korra wanted to burst out with laughter. She wanted to yell and tease him mercilessly, proclaiming she _was _in fact a firebender. But she didn't.

Instead, the Avatar simply smiled widely, "Of course we would."

She watched as he rolled his eyes, "Thank Agni that you aren't a firebender then." Korra wasn't sure how to reply to that. Did he hate her or just not trust her? Perhaps it was a combination of the two? She_ had_ been irritating him after all.

Instead, she decided to switch the subject with the first question that came to mind, "Why do you stick with the Triple Threats?" Korra had to ask it. She didn't know a lot about the brothers' pasts, but she was certain that if they could have avoided it, they wouldn't have let their lives get tangled in crime.

Mako's eyes narrowed. Korra could only guess that he was trying to figure out how the question could benefit her. Everybody wanted things from the two brothers. The reaction didn't surprise her. "Do you remember the past few days?"

Korra blinked, "Yes? My memory isn't _that _bad."

"Think of what we've been eating," his tone was serious. Korra recalled breakfast the first day... a healthy serving of Mako's leftover turtle duck mixed into a watery soup. Then lunch... was the same thing, with slightly less turtle duck. Dinner was a small helping of rice. The next morning's breakfast repeated itself with soup, but this time was leftover bits of bread soaking within the bowl of soup, with a few vegetables mixed in. As Korra thought of each meal, it occurred to her that the meals were scraps of leftovers that Mako and Bolin had stored in their small home.

"I stay with the Triple Threats because without them, Bolin and I can't feed ourselves. We have no home without the Triple Threats."

"Oh," was all Korra could muster, feeling guilty that she had been merely an extra mouth to feed.

Mako nodded, "It's not like I want Bolin and I to be involved with them. It's a job though. I can't quit this job, because without it Bolin and I are homeless and on the streets begging again."

_Again. _

She now understood why Mako seemed to have such a stick up his ass all the time when it came to these things. While she was certain that part of it was that she got under his skin, the main reason was that - at merely 16 - he was walking a very thin line between being able to survive and not being able to survive. Everything he was doing was for Bolin. He probably didn't care if he had to wrestle wild hog monkeys to keep them afloat. He was the kind of guy who would do it.

"Hold still," Korra commanded, shifting her feet beneath her and pulling the rock up from under them.

"What the hell, Kor?!" Mako yelled in a burst of anger. It only lasted momentarily before he realized that what she was doing was not to irritate or annoy him. She guided the chunk of stone underneath them through the streets, eliciting several cries and obscene hand gestures as the crowd of people and vehicles was forced to part to let them through.

The firebender's legs shook as he attempted to get use to the sensation of riding a block of earth. Korra couldn't help but smirk. Regardless of the circumstances, it was something of a victory to see him squirm.

.

.

.

This was not going as Iroh hope. His ship was much slower than anticipated and the weather was much, much worse than he expected. The first day had gone well. He had made good time, making it all the way to Whale Tail Island. The journey from then on was not so smooth. Everything that he had heard about regarding the blizzard did not do it justice. Even in his steel armored ship - specifically made to be able to withstand harsh weather conditions - groaned and buckled as it crashed through ice. On numerous occasions Iroh had only narrowly avoided massive glaciers.

The journey was more treacherous than any of those he had encountered during his missions in the Navy. The snow was like a white wall in front of the General, preventing him from being able to see further than 5 feet. If he place his hand in front of his face, he would barely be able to make out its distinct outline. Even more importantly, it was _cold._ Colder than anything he could have imagined. Standing on the deck of the ship, even slightly sheltered from some of the elements, was more than he could handle. Iroh's firebending could only go so far in temperatures as deadly as the ones he was experiencing. He had resorted to wearing a furry military coat, tailored freshly from the hide of a platypus bear. Not only when he was navigating at the helm of the ship, but when he eat, slept, and chronicled his journey.

He was a single man in the middle of an icy wasteland, searching for a huge chunk of land that somehow kept evading him. He had lost track of the hours, the snow having blocked the sun from view for the last few days. All he knew was that it had been four long days, his only indication of night and day being the steep drop in temperature at night; the cold went from intolerable to lethal as nightfall set in.

It crossed Iroh's mind more than once, that if he were to catch hypothermia, his chance of death was high. As a firebender he could prevent it more effectively, but once his body took in more cold than it could handle, even his internal heat source couldn't save him. If he were to die out here, no one would know. He had informed his crew he was heading home - that his grandfather was feeling ill. No search parties would be deployed, and no ships would sail after him. No one, save Lin Beifong knew where he was heading. In the event that he did die, sending a fleet of ships to search for him would be highly questionable. It was bad enough that he had lied to the United Forces, but his rank as a General and royal status made such a covert operation even more precarious. The world's delicate political structure could be compromised with the unanswered questions he death would lead to.

Most importantly, the world needed its Avatar. While the relationship between his family and former Avatars may have not been so spectacular, his grandfather had stressed the importance of repairing any damages that still lasted - and preventing any new ones. He _knew _his grandfather would approve of his choice. It was unspoken, but as Fire Nation royalty, his duty to the Avatar - to the world - went beyond his duty to the United Forces. It didn't hurt that Fire Nation royalty had a knack for tracking Avatars either.

For each of these reasons, Iroh could only hope that the South Pole wasn't too far away.

.

.

.

He had to admit, the pair had made excellent time. Thanks to Kor's unpractical method of transportation, they were able to arrive back at the Triple Threat headquarters with time to spare. Shin seemed genuinely surprised to even see them, as he was leaning against the outside wall of the fake restaurant chatting up one of the hired thugs who stood watch at the door.

"Did you get all four?" he asked Mako with a suspicious look on his face.

The firebender simply nodded, taking out a fistful of yuans and another fistful of jewelry and other small and shiny possessions. Shin's buddy, an obscenely muscular man with huge hands (the perfect intimidating guard), placed his palms between the two in order to act as a temporary shelf.

"I see we had a few friends who weren't able to pay with real money," he smiled. Shin actually preferred the things he could sell. Most residents were desperate to pay when Mako came around, throwing their family heirlooms into his hands without regard for their monetary and personal value. They had heard the rumors of triads seeking 'revenge' on those who didn't pay their debts. Mako stayed far away from this business, but it didn't help that he was the messenger.

Shin held up a diamond earring to his eye, grinning wildly. Kor had seemed particularly uncomfortable when the poor old lady had thrust it into his hands, pleading for him to leave. Her son had left Republic City with an outstanding debt, his poor mother inheriting the burden of paying it off. Mako hadn't been cruel by any means - he never was - but he was always insistent that he needed people to pay their debts. He would rather be responsible for taking their things over having them be the victims of a violent crime.

"This is excellent stuff Mako," Shin complimented and slide a fat wad of yuans into the teen's now empty hand, "You've earned your pay for day."

Mako took it without complaints, turning on his heel. He could hear shin chuckle, "You know, I didn't think you'd actually get it all done today!"

What kind of fool did Shin take him for? Giving him an impossible task and then telling him he didn't expect it to be finished. Mako _hated _when people cheated him in any way. He didn't have time to waste on Shin's games. While Shin may have been sitting pretty in his finely tailored suits and stacks upon stacks of yuans, Mako was worried about how he would tell Bolin that they wouldn't be eating much until they were assigned another job.

His fists clenched in frustration, simply at the thought of Shin's actions and what they _almost _accomplished. He could do it right now. He could catch him off guard right here. Throw a fist full of fire his way. He'd be too preoccupied with investigating all of the new merchendise that Mako brought him. He wouldn't see it coming. The man wouldn't ever try to screw with him again.

Suddenly a hand was placed on his shoulder, a subtle reminder that he had beaten Shin at his own game. It snapped him out of his angry daze immediately. Kor didn't smile at him or give him a reassuring look - and he didn't expect anything like that from her. She simply stopped him from making a terrible, terrible decision. Although he would never say it, he owed her one.

.

.

.

"Get inside," Lin snarled, roughly pushing the man into the interrogation room.

She was still angry from Saikhan's mistake several days ago. If he had simply followed protocol, the Avatar would have been found by now. After Saikhan's initial dismissal, she contacted him again, telling him to not bother showing up for the next week. She probably could have been easier on him, but the added stress of not receiving any word from Iroh was testing her self control. He was supposed to be back two days ago. Had the man decided to go on a vacation to Kyoshi Island halfway through his trip?

The man grumbled as he sat down in the chair in the middle of the room, "Hey, easy with the goods, Chief. I'm your only informant, after all."

"And I don't want anybody you know seeing you in here. You aren't the only prisoner we have here."

The Triple Threat spy shrugged, "The term 'prisoner' is a bit harsh, don't you think, Chief? Besides, why did you have to bring me here?"

Lin wasn't in the mood for his games today, "The last time we met, I had to leave. This time, I want to assure I get all the information I can out of you - even if I have interruptions."

"Ah yes, you stood me up during our last _date._" the last words were spoken with a slight chuckle.

Lin rolled her eyes, "Just give me the latest information and we both can get out of here."

He smiled coyly, "I have lots of information. But today I only feel like answering questions."

"You want me to question you?" Did he get off on this sort of thing? Being interrogated wasn't supposed to be fun. It was business, and Lin intended to keep it that way.

"Stop looking at me like that, Chief. I've done nothing wrong," he leaned back in the metal chair, "As I said, I just want to answer questions today. Five questions. Looks like you just used up our first one."

She gritted her teeth to stop herself from doing something stupid. It was important to not compromise this mission, "What kind of game do you think this is?"

"Is that your second question?"

Lin grew silent. Any regular prisoner and she would have moved to more threatening tactics, but this guy was her only source on the inside of the triads. He had contacted her, stating he had information on the small battle between all three crime syndicates from earlier that week. To make matters even worse for her, the man _loved _to push her buttons.

Altogether this was a delicate situation for Lin, where if she lost it - even for a second - he would refuse to continue their conversation. It had happened before, and it would happen again. In the end, it was an important she didn't take the bait. Showing any frustration was just what he wanted, and Lin was better than that. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"What's the big news you wanted to tell me?"

The man seemed to ponder this question for a moment before smiling widely, "That question is too vague to answer. Narrow it down a bit."

Her patience was wearing thin, "Why were all three triads in one place?"

"Now we're getting somewhere, Chief!" Lin waited for him to continue, delivering an unamused look. The man leaned his arms on the table, "The Triple Threats think they set up the Monsoons, and the Monsoons think they set up the Agni Kais. The Agni Kais are certain they set up the Triple Threats."

"Continue," Lin treaded carefully, being sure not to waste her questions. Or smash the table in front of him. Into his face.

"The Monsoons had been planning an attack on the Agni Kais for months - which is what started this whole thing. The Triple Threats had some of their members infiltrate the Monsoons and planned to strike. The Agni Kais caught wind of both of the plans and somehow tricked some girl who was hanging out with a few Triple Threat members to go to one of their warehouses. They assumed it would alert them of when the other two triads were around - which it did."

"To clarify, you're saying that each group was targeting another triad, and coincidentally, they were all in the same place?" she paused, "This is not one of my questions."

The informant shrugged, "Sort of. And don't worry, Chief... I'll let that one slide."

"I'll go ahead and use my next question here. What do you mean by 'sort of'?"

The man chuckled, "Finally, getting to the important stuff." Lin gave him a dry, unamused glare.

"There was an outside group that helped orchestrate all of this. You see, it wasn't about taking sides for this group. They don't care about the little turf war that's going on. They could care less if the triads slaughter each other. To put it simply, it was about getting all of Republic City's most prominent triads in one place."

The questions raced through Lin's mind, "Can you identify any members of this group? Have I heard of them?"

"Woah, woah, slow down their. You sure those are your next two questions?"

Lin's hands clenched the metal table, bending the edge. Deep breaths. She needed to take deep breaths. She carefully regarded each of the questions before replying, "Answer the first one."

"Well, I know the guy who set up the Triple Threats. His name is Loki. Old guy who owns a shop somewhere around here. Purposely left a bunch of Water Tribe coins on his counter one day when our debt collectors came by. I'm not sure about the others."

Although concern well up in Lin's mind, her expression was cold and calculated, "Are the triads planning anything we should be concerned about?"

She watched as he stood up, a signal that their meeting was soon to be over, "You got it all wrong Chief," he began, "The triads aren't the ones you should be worried about right now."

Lin wished she had questions left.

* * *

**a/n - Lots of conflict all of a sudden. Between Unalaq and our mystery group, shit's going to get real very quickly. What do you guys think is going to happen?  
**

**Hope you all enjoyed this. Remember to type something into that box down at the bottom of this page. I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to give me feedback and review. Seeing the same readers review chapter after chapter is an awesome feeling!  
**

**A question for you lovely readers... Who's your favorite character in this story?**


	8. Difference

**Disclaimer: Don't own LOK. Too much work to own it.  
**

**a/n - I know it may have seemed a little unrealistic that, according to the informant, Loki had planned to give the Water Tribe coins to the Triple Threats all along (which hinged on Korra's visit just seconds before Mako and Bolin arrived), but it's not as simple as that. You will see! I'm purposely leaving you in the dark with some confusion.**

**I've had to stretch out a lot of events more than I expected so that character development would make sense. Hopefully you'll thank me in the long run. Not sure how long this thing will be. I have the next 10 chapters planned out, and as far as I can see it isn't going to end there. A ton of stuff from Korra's POV in here. **

* * *

Chapter 8 - Difference

The past three days had worn Iroh down. Between the frigid cold and the impossible feat of navigating safely through the maze of glaciers. His compass had been quite handy, but every time he seemingly had found a route in the right direction, a large wall of ice would appear in his path. It felt like he was running around in circles - each gigantic mass of ice looking familiar.

Finally, after three long, hard days of grueling navigation, the winds calmed and the snow finally let up. The tall structures of the Southern Water Tribe protruded from the snowy strip of landscape in front of him. At last, he had arrived at the Southern Water Tribe.

Iroh steered his ship into the harbor with ease, a group of dockworkers running to help him rope up his ship to the dock. While his metal cruiser was merely fraction of the size of the warship he usually occupied, it was still a huge vessel that took up a generous amount of space on the dock. The General's shoulders relaxed as he realized he was not in immediate danger of running his ship into an iceberg anymore. He clutched his coat to his body and left the ship.

"Sir," a man in Water Tribe garb. greeted. Iroh could see the intrigue in the man's eyes as he recognized the General's red and gold uniform.

Iroh nodded professionally as he continued down the dock, "Is Chief Tonraq in the palace?"

"Yes he is. But what business does the United Forces have to do with him?"

"I have an important message from Republic City."

The man seemed skeptical, and Iroh didn't blame him. As a United Forces General, he was completely out of his jurisdiction by being in this area of the world. It was even more suspect that he came alone. "May I have your name, sir?"

"General Iroh," he paused, debating on if he should namedrop his mother and grandfather, "My mother is the Fire Lord. I'm here on unofficial business."

"Ah, General Iroh," the man smiled, "please come this way."

.

.

.

"Guess what we're doing tonight!" Bolin's voice rang in a sing-song voice as he entered the apartment. It wasn't a question, but rather a exclamation. Pabu, as usual, was perched comfortably on his shoulders.

Korra, who had been sitting comfortably on the brothers' couch, peered above the newspaper in her hands. She smiled at the Earthbender, "What?"

"We're going to - where's Mako?"

Korra motioned to the bathroom door, "Some guy didn't want to pay his debt. Bent a bunch of mud at him."

"And you avoided it?"

She gave him a small grin, "I might have subtly helped direct it his way."

"You mean you did waterbending in front of Mako? Does he know?"

"Shh!" her eyes widened and her hands flew up in the air in panic. She gave a quick glance to the bathroom door, the water having stopped a few minutes before Bolin arrived .Korra spoke with a low voice, "He could be listening. And there's earth in mud too." Since Korra had revealed her secret to him, they had yet to speak again about her identity. She knew that the poor kid had a growing list of questions for her, but they never seemed to have time to talk alone.

"Oh. Didn't think of that. And don't worry - it's nearly impossible to hear through that door."

"Speaking from experience?"

Bolin gave a her a shrew look, "Maybe..." Based on his reaction, she knew she would have to ask about it sometime.

Their heads both swerved to watch the door click open, a freshly clean Mako standing in the doorway with a pile of dirty clothes. He had changed into an old shirt and pants. Or at least Korra assumed it was old, judging by the stained knees on his pants and wear-and-tear on the edges of his shirt.

There was something about him that looked different - besides the clothing, and Korra couldn't identify what that was. Maybe it was the vulnerability he gained from wearing his old, tattered clothing? Perhaps it was the way his hair had been neglected to be brushed? More than likely it was the way he lacked his familiar grimace whenever he laid eyes on her. Korra didn't mind this look. In fact, in an odd way, there was something about it that she liked about it.

"Mako!" Bolin's eyes lit up at the sight of his brother, "You won't believe what we're doing tonight!"

The firebender glanced at Korra, "Should I be worried?"

She shrugged, "He didn't tell me." In all honesty, she probably wouldn't have given him an honest answer anyway.

"We are going to a probending match!" Bolin was practically radiating with excitement. They had been religiously listening on the radio every night to the matches. Bolin had been doing his best to explain what everything looked like as well as about specific terms that the announcer was using. Despite this, one undoubtedly had to be there in order to completely understand the sport.

As a result, Korra was beyond thrilled, but Mako seemed concerned, "How did you afford three tickets to one of the biggest matches of the year? It's the finals. Those tickets don't come cheap."

"I bought them. I've been saving up."

"You can't just spend your money on things you don't _need._"

Bolin crossed his arms, "Sure I can. Isn't that what Shin does?" She sympathized with him - he had obviously thought that Mako would be overjoyed and excited to finally see a match. She knew they went to one when they were younger (Bolin had slipped that fact in over dinner one night) and had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

"A guy with the nickname 'Shady Shin' isn't exactly the best role model."

Korra decided to intervene, delivering a enthusiastic smile to Bolin, "I can't wait! How about you Mako?"

Mako sighed; there was no need to argue a lost cause. He gave his brother a small smile, "I guess I am." Korra quietly decided that maybe he wasn't such an asshole.

.

.

.

They were having tea when their visitor arrived. Tenzin was sitting comfortably across from Tonraq, sipping his drink as he recalled an old story his father once told him. This scene had been common over the last week. The Chief would take a break from the monotony of his work and sit down with the old airbender, listening with intrigue.

"Penguins?" Tonraq raised a brow.

"Otter penguins," Tenzin elaborated, "Apparently that's how it happened."

"But how would you sled on them? How would you even get one to sit still for that long?"

He shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure. Dad never had time to show me. But they eventually came upon this old Fire Nation ship -"

The door opened, startling the two men. Tenzin immediately recognized the man's uniform - a set of clothing that his own brother had been wearing since he was a teen. Upon looking at his face, he knew immediately who it was.

"General Iroh," Tenzin and Tonraq stood simultaneously out of respect. Although Tonraq was the chief, there was a great deal of respect for the son of the Fire Lady. The airbender smiled warily, concern etching his features. Why would Iroh be here?

"Master Tenzin, Chief Tonraq," he greeted as they all sat down.

The Chief poured Iroh a cup of tea, offering it to him casually, "I can't say we were expecting you, General."

He gladly took the warm drink, "I've been sent by Chief Beifong."

"Lin?" Tenzin's curiosity was visible.

"She contacted me a week ago to deliver some news to you."

"Did you know about -"

Iroh nodded as he took a sip of tea, "Yes. My grandfather told me about your daughter's situation. That's actually why I'm here."

"Did they find her?!" both Tenzin and Tonraq seemed hopeful.

The General shook his head with a frown, "I'm sorry. They didn't. But Lin said that she can confirm that Korra is in Republic City."

"So there _was _a sighting? By who?"

"I don't know. I was just told to get the news to you as soon as possible. When I heard it was about the Avatar, I couldn't refuse."

Tenzin rubbed his beard, "Thank you, Iroh. I have to ask - how come you didn't arrive until today?"

He could see Iroh's frustration regarding the subject, "I was on course until a storm hit. Thankfully it cleared up today."

Upon hearing that, the airbender stood up quickly, "You and I need to leave immediately before another storm hits. If Korra is not in the South Pole, then there's no reason for my presence here."

"That was what Chief Beifong said."

Tonraq stood as well, "I'll tell my men to bring your bison to the docks."

He began to gather his few possessions lying around the room, "Tonraq, thank you for your hospitality these past few days."

"Not a problem, Tenzin. I just wish it were different circumstances that brought you here." Tenzin could see the worry that had hiding under the surface the past few weeks finally well up in the man. He couldn't imagine what Tonraq was feeling. He had tried countless times to imagine Ikki, Meelo, or Jinora going missing in order to fathom what the Chief was going through. Tenzin was certain he would be a mess, not wanting to rest for a second until his child was found. In that respect, Tonraq was being incredibly composed by not leaving his duties and following them to Republic City.

"And I the same," he nodded toward Iroh that he was ready to leave before adding, "We'll find your daughter, Tonraq. I promise."

.

.

.

Lin was on rumor control duty. She didn't know how, but there were whispers that the little secret she had been keeping was now out.

_The Avatar is missing._

Lin had heard it. No matter how hard they tried to quietly whisper behind her back about it, Lin heard.

For the past few days, she had been wrapped up in attempting to dissect her informant's words. While she didn't necessarily mind if someone was trying to ruin the triads, she didn't appreciate their methods. She had been looking into various leads on the man named Loki (it was a ridiculously common name) when she had first heard the rumor.

Rounding a corner, she heard it -

_"Did you hear the rumor? The Avatar is missing."_

_"What? Like Avatar Aang? Where do you think she went? It is a she, right?"  
_

_"I think so. And people are saying that she could be in Republic City."_

Lin's lips pressed into a thin line and her entire body tensed at the memory. Someone had snitched. She _knew _it wasn't Tenzin, Pema, Iroh, or Tonraq. It had to be a White Lotus member - they were the only ones who knew other than those four.

It was hard to believe though. Each member was carefully screened, most being descendents of original Order members. They were dedicated and devoted to the Avatar and their cause. Aside from a few instances (which had been quickly thwarted), there had never been an instance of betrayal.

Chief Beifong had averted her priorities away from the mystery man named Loki and instead to silently corral the rumor. She had changed into civilian clothing in order to not draw too many red flags, but her demeanor had not changed. The woman's head was held high and her presence in the room garnered attention with the confidence she radiated.

She disliked the darkness of the bar. It didn't make for good observing. The lack of metal in the room also concerned her. Lin was _always _ready for an attack, and if it came to a fight, she would have to improvise without her element of choice.

"Can I get you somethin', miss?" the bartender asked her. He looked less than thrilled to be there. Almost as much as Lin did.

The Chief gave him a cold look, "No. I don't drink."

"A bar's an odd place for you to be in then, miss."

She didn't give him a panicked or startled look. Because she _wasn't_ panicked or startled. She simply delivered one of her most menacing glares at the man before giving in, "Fine. I'll take whatever you have."

"We have a lot of drinks."

Lin ground her teeth in annoyance and pointed at the poor sap next to her (who froze in fear at her mere gesture), "What he's having then."

The bartender seemed satisfied and left to get her drink. The man next to Lin was giving her a subtle stare out of the corner of his eye, something that she picked up on instantly.

"Excuse me," she did her best to not seem intimidating.

The man did his very best to avoid meeting the Chief's eyes, "Yes ma'am?"

She rolled her eyes. The man couldn't have been younger than her, and yet he was addressing her the same way one would address their mother. In a way, he was perfect for her little operation. "I'm new here. Anything interesting going on in the city?"

"Th-there's the probending finals," he nervously spoke.

"I'm not really into sports," she replied as the bartender handed her a glass filled with dark liquid. The man clearly did not want to be in this conversation, but there wasn't a chance in hell that Lin was going to let him walk out. They both knew that.

"Well... there's an art festival coming up this week?" he answered, as if he was trying to find the right answer she was looking for.

"Not into art either."

"It's kind of a boring time of year then I guess..." Lin watched as he desperately attempted to make eye contact with the busy bartender in order to pay his tab.

Lin decided she would have to nudge him in the right direction, "So how about those rumors?"

The man perked up slightly, "About the avatar, you mean?"

_Bingo._ "Yes. Those rumors. Are they true?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. I'd like to think so though. Would make for a fun story to tell my grandchildren."

"Any idea where the news even came from?"

"Well, my co-worker heard about it from a buddy of his that works at the docks."

Lin tapped her fingers on the full glass in front of her, "The docks?"

"I guess. That's where all rumors begin. There's supposed to be an official radio announcement about it tonight though."

Chief Beifong's eyes widened as she took in his words. The man beside her practically leapt out of his seat, "You!" she yelled at the bartender, "Put on that radio! Now!"

.

.

.

"I'm coming too."

The voice was almost missed throughout the rush of the dockworkers running on and off Iroh's ship. Iroh himself recognized the voice immediately. It was unique in the way that it carried both sternness and calmness.

"Sensei," Iroh greeted formally with a bow. Tenzin was busy leading his bison onto the deck of the ship. Dockworkers were scrambling to meet his requests of adequate food for their journey as well as plenty of hay for the beast to keep warm below deck.

"General," he said stoically, "When I heard you were here, I came immediately."

"I'm sorry I didn't contact you. I was under the impression you were already on your way to Republic City. My grandfather sent a message a while back."

The firebending master narrowed his eyes in confusion, "I haven't received any letters."

"It's possible that the messenger could have gotten lost in the storm," Iroh thought aloud, though the whole situation bothered him. He had been sure to send one of the most reliable ships in the entire Fire Nation to ferry that letter to the Southern Water Tribe.

Tenzin's form appeared at Iroh's side, a few pieces of hay caught in the man's beard, "It's good to see you... I don't believe I ever got your name?"

The old man shook his head, "You didn't. A name is not something that can be simply shared."

Iroh suppressed a smile. Even the lone airbending master in the world had not garnered the respected to know Korra's teacher's name. To be quite fair, Iroh himself didn't even know of it. Only his grandfather and mother seemed to know, and despite begging for the name throughout his youth, the General never was given a straight answer.

Tenzin, who seemed to be rather put out by the firebending master's rude actions, turned to Iroh, "My sky bison has been accounted for."

"Good," Iroh spoke in a commanding voice, "Let's go then. The sooner we leave, the sooner we all can get to Republic City and find Korra."

Tenzin seemed reluctant to include Korra's firebending instructor. He visibly winced as he spoke, "All?"

Between the nameless sensei's abrasive attitude and Tenzin's uncomfortable reaction, Iroh was certain that it would be a _long _ride back.

.

.

.

"Why couldn't one of you be a waterbender? My scarf is still soaked," Mako complained as they arrived at the long pier that led to the probending arena. The building was lit up, as it appeared the other night. This time, the crowd was thick as spectators poured into the entrance of the golden building.

"Can't you firebend it out?" Korra asked as she watched him adjust it around his neck. She had offered to remove the dirt from it (which Mako begrudgingly accepted), but under her guise as an earthbender, she wasn't able to remove the water from the damp material. She wasn't about to blow her cover just to remove water from Mako's scarf.

Mako shook his head, "I might burn it_._"

"It's just a scarf. Why did you bring it if it's soaking wet anyway?" The trio came upon the entrance to the arena, shuffling in line.

"Here's your tickets," Bolin interrupted quietly and handed the pair their tickets. Mako and Korra took the slips of hard paper from him before continuing their conversation.

"It's not just a scarf," Mako replied, hesitation filling his voice, "It was our dad's. I don't take it off... ever."

"He means that. Never takes it off... _ever_," Bolin supplied as he patted Pabu on the head.

"Oh," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed for breaching a sensitive subject. For all the shit that Korra gave Mako, she didn't once press the subject of the brothers' history. For multiple reasons, she avoided the topic like the plague. The most prominent reason was that bringing up _their_ past meant that they would start to ask questions about _her_ past. As good as she considered herself at keeping track on each of her lies, she didn't feel comfortable lying to the brothers. They had given her a home, fed her, and were even treating her to a probending match. While they may have been forced to do the first two, the last was significant in its generosity.

The line had been moving quickly, the three benders handing their tickets the gatekeeper to inspect. The man gave them a once-over before returning the slips of paper to the three benders. He smiled at them, "Enjoy the match."

"This is so exciting!" Bolin was shaking with anticipation as he followed the crowd up a wide staircase to the first tier of seats.

"Oh! Look!" Korra exclaimed, pointing to a vendor that was selling merchandise for the match, "They're selling banners for the Wolfbats! We can hang it on the wall at home -"

Mako's voice cut in, "The match should be starting any second now. We need to get to our seats." Korra pouted as he placed a hand on her back to guide her away from the merchant like a child. Her eyes were glued to the man, even as they rounded the corner.

The trio managed to find a row in the packed arena with enough space for all three of them. They weren't the best seats by any means, but they had a clear view of the action. Korra had seated herself between the brothers; Bolin having been too excited not to go first, and Mako having been forced to keep behind her in order to steer her away from the vendors.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a loud voice boomed. It was greeted by a chorus of excited yells from the fans, "Welcome to the Republic City Probending Finals!"

"Oh oh!" Bolin gasped, pointing at one of the balconies below them. In response, Pabu grew startled and ducked into his shirt. He quickly began to console the ferret as he spoke, "There's the Wolfbats!"

The announcer enthusiastically announced the teams - the White Falls Wolfbats and the Red Sands Rabaroos. The crowd loudly cheered in response as the teams were brought to the large platform in the middle of the arena.

"Their waterbender is Tahno, their firebender is Shaozu, and Ming is their earthbender," Bolin explained, pointing to each of the individuals.

Korra glanced at the opposite side of the ring, where the Rabaroos were motivating the crowd to get pumped up, "What about them?"

The earthbender snorted, "Pfft, who cares about them? We're here for the Wolfbats, defending champions and future repeating champions!"

"That's Adi, Umi, and Ula. I'm not sure which is which. They're the only all female team in probending," Mako replied, much to her surprise.

"But they've got nothing on the Wolfbats," his younger brother established.

"The Rabaroos are pretty good too," Mako quietly noted, "They may be underdogs, but you shouldn't count them out."

The match quickly was under way, the formalities having disappeared between the teams immediately. She watched as the the benders took the spotlight and began to do what they did best. Shots were fired from each side; even without the rapid fire of the announcer's commentary, she could see that the earthbender from the Rabaroos was being targeted by the Wolfbats.

The poor girl was driven back quickly into the second zone as she did her very best to meet every blast of fire and earth with a disk of earth. Korra watched in amazement as the Wolfbats' waterbender - Tahno - fought off both of the remaining Rabaroos with swift precision. One both sides, it was two against one. At this point it was simply about who would give in first.

"Come on Wolfbats! Knock her off!" Bolin screamed.

The Wolfbats obeyed, their steady assault of earth and fire causing the Rabaroo to stumble and lose her footing. Her attackers took advantage of her mistake, sending a chunk of earth flying her way and pushing her off the platform.

"Ula is down! The combined might of the Wolfbats was too much to overcome!"

Bolin was ecstatic, standing up and waving his fists wildly. A loud buzzer sounded, and the action suddenly ceased. Korra looked around in confusion. She hadn't heard that noise on the radio before.

"Round two," Mako explained.

"Mark it down!" the trademarked voice of the announcer rang out, "Round one goes to the White Falls Wolfbats!"

"It's a lot faster than I imagined," Korra thought out loud as she watched Ula take the long ride back up the platform.

The firebender beside her nodded, "I remember when we came here as kids. Bolin and I were deadset on becoming the youngest probenders in history. Then we actually got to see a match in person, and our entire perception of the sport changed."

"I never gave up on my dream," Bolin told them proudly as the next round was under way.

It was a completely different dynamic than the previous one. Instead of ganging up on one individual, each bender was going up one-on-one against the opponent who wielded the same element. It was clear that the Rabaroo's firebender was superior to the Wolfbats', and Bolin took notice of this.

"Ugh! Why are we letting them take on Shaozu one on one? He's not that good!"

Shaozu suddenly tumbled into his teammate, a burst of water simultaneously shoving the pair all the way into the third zone. Applause erupted from the Rabaroo supporters. Bolin groaned and clutched Pabu in anxiety.

"The Rabaroos have ferociously answered the Wolfbats' earlier assault! But what's this? The tenacious captain of the Wolfbats, Tahno, is fighting back with a vengeance!"

The waterbender was carefully treading within the narrow lines of zone three. He simply disregarded his firebender teammate beside him as he was knocked off the platform. Tahno did not panic a second as he narrowly avoided an onslaught of fire being hurled his way.

Tahno suddenly changed his approached to an offensive one, delivering a handful of steady bursts of water at the Rabaroo's earthbender. She was caught off guard by the first missile of liquid that sent her to zone two. The second knocked her off the platform entirely. Korra watched as the two remaining Wolfbats worked together in perfect harmony to overpower the opposing waterbender.

The crowd erupted in a euphoria, some screaming for the lone Rabaroo to play defense, while others were belting out their support for the Wolfbats to put an end to the match, "I don't believe this! From zones three and one, Tahno and Ming have eliminated two out of three of the Rabaroos! They'll need to hurry to go for the knockout!"

And they did hurry, Ming and Tahno sending a steady helping of earth disks and water bursts at the girl. As much as she tried to avoid their attacks, they were too quick, too precise, and too powerful to overcome. She was whip-lashed by a disk of earth, only to be thrown backward into zone two by one of Tahno's water bursts. By the time she could compose herself, the firebender was once again pushed back. A final blow was dealt by the Wolfbat's captain, sending the girl flying into the water below right as the buzzer sounded.

"The Wolfbats have successfully completed the knockout! But was it in time!?" the announcer did his best to hype the situation up as the crowd hushed to hear the verdict.

The referee overlooking the platform raised the flag in his hand, "The bender's feet had left the platform before the buzzer sounded. The Wolfbats wins!"

Bolin jumped from his seat, screaming his approval. Korra and Mako joined him, although it was impossible to match the young earthbender's enthusiasm.

"There you have it folks! This year's probending champions are the White Falls Wolfbats!"

After a brief celebration, the mass of people in the arena began to pour out, anticipation and excitement flowing through the crowd. The trio filed out of the arena, slowly moving along with the makeshift line of people.

"That was... quicker than I expected," Korra remarked, shoulders bumping with her fellow fans.

Mako nodded in agreement, "I kind of wish the Rabaroos would have put up more of a fight."

Bolin seemed to be too deep into his state of awe to voice any complaints, "Remember how Tahno was teetering on the edge of the third zone and single handedly took out every single Rabaroo? That was great!" his eyes were wide and his arms moved in a wild, animated expression.

"I'm not sure that's how it went..." Korra muttered, but it didn't stop Bolin from continuing his borderline worship of the Wolfbats.

"It doesn't matter - they stood no chance against the might of the Wolfbats!"

"What's that?" Mako motioned to a group of people who stopped on the side of the walkway.

The three teens gravitated to the small crowd that was gathering. Korra watched as Mako, the tallest, craned his head to see what everybody was looking. She watched as a confused expression crossed his face.

"What's going on?" Korra attempted to see through the crowd.

"It's just a radio. Everyone's looking at a radio...?"

"Shh!" a man near them barked, "It's about to come back on."

Even from her spot on the edge of the crowd, Korra could hear the voice loud and clear.

_"You may have heard about the rumor circulating around the city. We have a man from the North Pole who can confirm it himself. The Avatar, master of all four elements, is indeed missing."_

* * *

**a/n - Special thanks to my Guest reviewer(s). Apologies for not having this out sooner. I'm a D1 athlete who has had very little free time. Expect it to only get worse as the season begins. :/ Apologies if there are any mistakes here - don't have the time to go over it.  
**

**********SO SORRY if I haven't replied to your review. I appreciate you all immensely and will try to get to them in the next few days.**

******************One more note: sort of going over some inconsistencies regarding the canon series between updates. Will let y'all know if anything important changes, but for now it's just little details.**

******Remember to drop me a review! Gives me motivation to use my 2 hours of free time I have every day to write instead of taking a nap.**


	9. No Rest

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are my two dogs and record for tearing one's ACL the quickest in school history. See how LoK wasn't on that list?  
**

**a/n - holy cow! The response I got from my last chapter was AMAZING. I went to one of my 80 minute classes and came home to check my e-mail real quick, and I had like 10 reviews in there. Can't tell you how much that motivates me. **

**All of this was kind of hard to write. I had half of it done and then didn't have time to write for two days and then had to figure out where I was going with the whole scene. Part of it is that I listened to really hardcore music for the first day and when I started writing again two days later, I was listening to calm acoustic music.**

* * *

Chapter 9 - NO REST!

The crackling of a radio could be heard throughout the silent room.

_"You may have heard about the rumor circulating around the city. We have a man from the North Pole who can confirm it himself. The Avatar, master of all four elements, is indeed missing._

_"You heard it right folks. This rumor started in the northern region of the United Republic of Nations and has already traveled to the edges of Ba Sing Sei's walled city. We, however, are the first to confirm the rumor from the very messenger who delivered the news."  
_

Shuffling emitted from the other end as a microphone was pass to their guest. The confident and informative voice of the broadcaster was replaced with the much more subdued tone of a man.

_"I was tasked by Tenzin to deliver his message to the North Pole. He told me not to read it or let anyone else read it under any circumstances."  
_

The host cut him off before he could continue.

_"The Airbending Master and son of Avatar Aang, Tenzin, tasked him with the delivery to the North Pole! But you don't look like you are from around here?"_

___"He was in the Earth Kingdom - the southwestern shore. I'm from there."  
_

___"The real question is what he was doing in that part of the world! Why would Master Airbender Tenzin leave Republic City when he knew about such a crisis? Here is what happened next on our source's journey."_

_"Tenzin told me not to open the letter by any means. When I got to the North Pole, I was to deliver it their leader, Chief Unalaq. That is what I did. Unalaq read the letter out loud. He said that the Avatar was - and had been - missing."  
_

A fist was clenched as a dark figure reacted to the man's tale.

_"But that's not the biggest shocker, folks!"_

_"He said in the letter that Chief Tonraq wanted to keep it a secret, and that others who knew about the Avatar's disappearance were in agreement to keep the public in the dark. Unalaq disagreed, and then had me leave. I came to Republic City at once. There was a chance she could be there."_

_"You heard our guest correctly! They knew about this long ago and kept it from their citizens. Our Avatar is missing, and we wouldn't have known if not for the actions of Chief Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe. While there is a demand to know why, there are bigger questions we must ask. Why is the Avatar missing? Can we trust our leaders? What will come of the Avatar's disappearance? And most of all, is she in Republic -"_

The radio was clicked off, a heavy hand flicking off the dial. One could easily detect the emotionless gleam in his eyes through the holes in his mask.

"You heard that," he spoke with a sense of purpose that was evident, even in those three small words, "It's time to act."

.

.

.

Korra wanted to disappear. She would have given anything to just earthbend herself into the ground and not come back up for another hundred years. Like Aang - minus the iceberg. And the whole airbender genocide. If only she had chosen to pretend to be a waterbender. She could subtly (or not so subtly) bend a tidal wave and knock out the radio's power. And maybe 'fall' into the water and disappear. She'd have to hope Bolin never spoke a word about her secret. Or maybe she could quietly set something on fire as a distraction? Or maybe not. That wasn't the _best_ idea if she didn't want to risk harm to any innocent bystanders.

"Did you hear that?" Mako's voice snapped Korra out of her panicked thoughts, "They kept this news from us."

"Yeah... it's a big shocker," She gave her best effort to manufacture a decent response.

Bolin eyed her nervously before putting on his own facade, "The Avatar's missing... Wow, who would have thought?"

The crowd had begun to disperse around them, but Korra was rigid and tense. She didn't like this. She didn't like that people might actually be looking for her now. While the posters of her face were pretty annoying at first, she had quickly learned that the citizens in Republic City completely disregarded them. They weren't even trying to locate her. Now, if said person's face on a poster was the Avatar, there was absolutely no doubt that people would be searching.

"You guys don't seem all that concerned about this," Mako remarked as they headed into the city, "I mean, I don't really care to be honest, but the last time this happened a war broke out and last a hundred years."

"You don't know that it's going to be the same," Korra mumbled. She needed time to think about this. She wasn't ready yet to face these issues head on. Maybe, in some other world, she had completed her training and was a mentally capable Avatar, but right here and now she didn't have all the answers. She didn't know what to do. The only thing Korra _did _know was that she didn't want to have to go back to her life before this.

The firebender shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets, "But if you're the Avatar," '_If only you knew_,' "then you've got to be pretty selfish to just up and leave like that."

"You don't even know why she left," Korra said defensively, doing her best to control her emotions. She was somewhere between wanting to encase his head in ice and wanting to come clean - if only to avoid any further indirect insults. The whole situation by itself was already enough to make her feel the guilt of a thousand (past) lifetimes. The last thing Korra wanted was Mako to pour on the insults.

"It doesn't really matter why. The Avatar should know better."

"We probably should keep an open mind," Bolin feigned seriousness, "We _don't _know why the Avatar left. Maybe she was running away from something bad? Like lots of chores. Maybe they make her herd sky bison? That has to be impossible!" Korra could see the subtle look he was giving her. It wasn't only an answer to Mako to break the tension, but a small prod that he wanted answers.

She had thought she had finally reached a middle ground with Mako, but his exasperated expression said otherwise, "Oh I forgot - she's the Avatar expert," he was referring to their conversation nearly a week ago.

He still didn't like getting into confrontations with her. Korra couldn't pinpoint if it was that they were polar opposites or too alike, as they seemed to disagree on almost everything, yet both had the same instinctual need to argue. Korra conceded that it was also her lack of openness with him that contributed to their unfriendly actions, but part of it was his fault with his ridiculous level of abrasiveness. He wasn't exactly the most trustworthy person she had ever met. Nonetheless, she was determined to make amends with the teen - if only for Bolin's sake.

"Look, I'm sorry Mako. I don't mean to come off as the 'Avatar expert'," even if it was true, "I just think we should keep an open mind... like Bolin said."

Bolin nodded in affirmation, giving Pabu a large smile as he coddled the little fire ferret, "Yep! Can't judge a person when they have been set up with an impossible task. Especially if it's herding a flying animal the size of a house."

Mako rolled his eyes, but the hostile expression he had carried earlier was no longer present, "I highly doubt they make the Avatar herd sky bison. But I get the point."

The younger brother let his ferret scamper onto his shoulders once again, crossing his arms and sticking his nose into the air. Bolin's voice was high and skeptical, "Keep an open mind, Mako..."

.

.

.

This was _not _supposed to happen like this.

The Avatar was supposed to be quietly recovered without anyone knowing. Peace would be maintained within Republic City. The world would rest in complete ignorance to the crisis that had been averted. Life would go back to normal, the crime in Republic City would be squandered for good, and Lin would never have to deal with the whining and insubordination of the idiots who worked under her. Of course that's what Lin was planning on happening.

As she sat at the busy bar, the chatter now about the possibility of the missing Avatar in the city, she knew that this was not going to be her reality. All of Lin's perfectly laid plans... all her hard work to maintain stability within Republic City... all of it flashed through her mind. If Unalaq's stupid need to defy his brother disrupted that, not even the most well defended and fortified fortress of ice would be enough to stop her from kicking his ass.

But was Unalaq really the issue here? Tenzin _was _the one who wrote the letter. What could have possibly possessed Tenzin to send that message? Yes, maintaining good relations with all of the nations was critical... but why did Unalaq need to know? Only those in the innermost circle of the White Lotus were privy to such information. They hadn't sent any messages to the Earth Queen or council in Republic City.

Lin let an audible groan escape her lips. She held her head in her hands. The council. Of course. They were _not _going to be pleased about this. They had no idea that she knew, but they were most certainly going to rip Tenzin apart whenever he returned from his rendezvous in the South Pole. She certainly could just let him duke it out with the council. That would be much easier than having to deal with the foolheaded politicians that ran the city. At this point she was pissed off enough with the old airbender that she was seriously considering the idea.

Chief Beifong's mind once again drifted. There really wasn't much that could be done until Tenzin and Iroh returned. Her best bet was to refuse to answer any questions directed at her concerning the situation, and instead focus entirely on the growing issue within the triads. Lin's plans had been disrupted once - but they weren't about to be disrupted twice. Anyone who got in her way was going to regret it.

.

.

.

They stood outside of the familiar restaurant that was home to the Triple Threat Headquarters, Mako hovering over Bolin and Kor with a nervous expression.

"You guys need to stay out here," he commanded.

Bolin watched as Kor began to protest. Her arms were crossed in a defiant manner, a surefire sign that she was determined to not back down. "Why not?"

"Because," Mako gave her a hard look, "Zolt's in there."

"How do you know?" Bolin questioned - not out of defiance, but out of worry. Kor's defensive demeanor changed immediately. Her arms went to her sides and her eyes were filled with concern. The firebender's head cocked to the entrance of the building. There were more hired thugs standing guard than usual. Normally, Bolin was able to recognize at least of the men out front. Today, he didn't recognize any of these men.

"What are we looking at?" Kor's confused voice interjected.

Mako answered, "All the guys outside. Unless Zolt is here, there are two of them out there at most."

"I'm guessing Zolt is an important guy?"

Bolin nodded while adjusting his fire ferret to a more comfortable position on his shoulders, "He sort of runs the Triple Threats."

"His name is Lightning Bolt Zolt, and he's probably the most dangerous guy in the city."

"He's been known to use lightning to get what he wants," Bolin supplied, not feeling particularly comfortable with his brother being alone when he went in. He knew Mako was in good standing with Zolt, but also understood that the man was like his nickname in more than one way. The stories of the man's tyranny were unavoidable - especially with a guy like Shin constantly whispering in your ear. All of them were tales of an angry and meticulous man with little tolerance for others; a man who, in a flash of lightning, could go from your best friend to your worst enemy.

Mako placed a hand on Bolin's shoulder, "I don't want you to have to deal with this, Bolin. You're all I have."

"You've got Kor too," he replied with a smile.

An awkward pause passed between the three, Bolin smiling, Korra looking at her feet (which had suddenly become extraordinarily fascinating), and Mako pursing his lips to avoid saying something he would regret.

Thankfully, Shin's voice abruptly tore through the air and disrupted the permeating silence within the group. The man appeared from the entrance of the headquarters, hands on his hips and staring at Mako with an eyebrow raised, "You were supposed to be in here five minutes ago, kid. Get your ass inside. Zolt's waiting."

Mako adjusted his red scarf on his neck, nodding to his two companions before following Shin inside. Korra stretched her arms and went to sit on the edge of the sidewalk while her earthbending friend hovered.

"Okay," Bolin's voice was loud and confident, "You and I need to talk about -"

Kor jumped up and swiftly covered his mouth with both hands before he spoke another word, "My little_ sky bison problem_?"

He quirked his brow before recognition filled his features, "Oh! Yes. Your... _sky bison problem_."

She sat back down, patting the spot next to her in an invitation for Bolin to join her. He sat down, his forearms resting on his knees and Pabu ruffling his messy hair.

"What's there to say about it? My... _sky bison problem _became too much for me. I needed a break, and the break turned into an extended vacation."

"What kind of sky bison problem was this?"

Kor paused for a moment, attempting to find the best words to covertly describe why she left her training compound, "They made me herd the bison all day, every day. I had no freedom. It was the same thing constantly - and I never got a vacation."

Bolin took in the coded message slowly. She obviously didn't have much freedom nor many opportunities to be a normal teenager. While his own experiences were far from normal, he and Mako weren't exactly chained down from living normal lives. He wasn't the kind of person to judge someone - even if they were the runaway Avatar. More than anything, he felt sympathy for Kor because she was his friend. While what she did - and was doing - was selfish and reckless in the long run, but he knew the human side of her. Being forced to view her as a person first and the Avatar second had made him naturally biased in her favor.

"Part of it was that I wanted to know what the rest of the world was like. Hell, I had never seen a motorcycle before I got here. And I'm 15! No wait - I'm 16 now. How could I miss my birthday?"

"You missed your birthday?" the earthbender perked up, ready to store this newly obtained information into the back of his mind.

"It's been what - two... maybe three weeks since I arrived. I must have missed it."

"We need to celebrate!"

Kor groaned, "My mom was probably so worried during my birthday."

"Do you miss them? Aren't they worried? They're _both _in the picture, right?"

Kor nodded - a collective answer to all of his questions. He could see in her expression that she was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt, "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my parents. My mom was always so supportive of me. My dad was usually busy, but he was always there for me when I needed him."

"I can tell you now, that when you tell Mako about this... He won't understand why you would leave a perfectly happy family for this," Bolin gestured to the street in front of them, "I guess I don't really understand it either."

Kor grew quiet, "I really didn't think about it. I was just so tired of being the Ava- the sky bison herder."

He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at their little codename, "It's mainly because we'd do anything to have our parents in our lives."

"Speaking of which, I_ really _doubt this whole thing with Mako is going to work out."

Bolin seemed confused, as if oblivious to the clear animosity between the two benders, "Why would you say that?"

"I'm pretty sure he would have threw fire at me if we weren't in public last night."

"Mako's not the type to warm up to anyone very fast, Kor. If I had to judge, I'd say you guys are doing great!"

She gave a weak laughed, "If doing great qualifies as nearly killing each other to take a shower first in the morning, then I don't want to know what you consider to be bad."

"I would consider bad to be one of you as a pile of ashes. And why do you do that anyway? You're both so loud."

"There's only so much hot water, Bolin."

"You're both firebenders though?" he spoke slow and with a low tone, as if trying to figure out how such an issue was possible.

Kor grinned sheepishly, "I didn't exactly complete my firebending training. I'm not very good at controlling my body temperature. I mean, I managed on the ship ride over here, but I also had a parka, gloves, and a shirt from the Water Tribe that was practically built for keeping me warm."

"What about Mako?"

She shrugged, "You'd have to ask him. I may be the sky bison herder, but it doesn't mean I understand your brother at all."

After a brief pause, Bolin spoke, skepticism present in his voice, "...I think you're wrong when you say he dislikes you."

Kor scoffed, "What makes you think that?"

Bolin held up his hand to begin to count the reasons, "First of all, he isn't arguing with you that much. I hate to say it, but it's only when you argue back now," Kor rolled her eyes in defiance, but he continued, lifting up another finger and continuing his count, "Second, Mako told you about his scarf. He doesn't tell _anyone _about the scarf."

"Are you su -"

"And third!" Bolin interrupted her, "He didn't make you go in there with Zolt. I guarantee you that if he hated you, he would have forced you to endure being in the same room as Zolt. Trust me when I say it's an event you'll be happy you've missed."

"If he doesn't hate me, then why doesn't he trust me?"

"Because," Bolin smiled, "you have to show him you trust him before he trusts you." He could see her visibly swallow, knowing what his words had implied.

.

.

.

Mako followed Shin into the restaurant wordlessly. He wasn't sure why he had been requested... usually he wasn't included in these meeting between the higher command of the Triple Threats.

"Nice of you to join us, Mako," Zolt's relaxed voice acknowledged him. His demeanor was always so strangely confident and relaxed. For a man so feared, his voice was actually quite friendly, laced in a thick accent native to Republic City.

"Sit down, kid. We were just discussing some of the most interesting news that was on the radio last night. I'm sure you heard about it?"

Mako nodded as he took a seat, "About the Avatar? Yeah."

"That's the news... Now, I've been contacted by the other triads about it. They think this little mini-crisis can help bring us together."

One of the elder men slammed his fists on the table in front of them, "Did you already forget about the attack? We lost a lot of good guys out there, Zolt."

"I thought the same thing," Zolt told him, "But then they said that they wanted to discuss the option of combing the city for the Avatar. Could you imagine the power we would have if we could find the girl before anyone else?"

"Working together with the Monsoons and Agni-Kais... wouldn't that mean that the power would be shared?" another man questioned.

Zolt grinned, "Oh, we can let them think that. But if we use their resources to group together and find this little brat and then just happen to back out of the agreement whilst taking the girl, the power is ours. Not much they can do to stop us. Even if they wanted to attack, we'd just let Beifong know we have the girl. She wouldn't let the Monsoons or Agni-Kais lay a finger on us if we had her as a hostage."

The original, elder man crossed his arms, "We can't just forgive them so easily. Especially with an ambush like they planned. Who knows if they simply plan to ambush us again at this 'meeting?'"

Their leader gave an audible sigh, "That's one of the topics that is being proposed to discuss. The other triads seem to think that they were ambushed."

"Are you stupid!?" a new voice replied. The man was in his early 30s and had blue eyes. A waterbender. "That's what they want us to think! Are you blind to what happened out there?"

Zolt's eyes narrowed, the room growing quiet. In the blink of an eye, the man stood up with two fingers pointed directly at the waterbender, "Did you call me stupid? 'Cause I better have not fuckin' heard that."

The waterbender shook his head, realizing the implications of the man's outstreached arm and pointed fingers. Mako, like every other soul knew what it led to... lightning.

"But I seem to have heard you call me blind."

The waterbender shook his head vigorously, "No, sir."

"Shin... did he call me blind? I thought I heard that. Maybe I'm going deaf?"

"He called you blind," Shin told him in a nonchalant manner. Mako briefly wondered how often Shin had observed a similar scene take place. To be _that _calm when answering a question like that was absurd.

Zolt's laughter filled the room, other nervous laughs joining in. He began to lower his arm, but it was simply a tease. With quick and accurate precision, he concentrated lightning through his body, and bent it toward his offender's face. Mako did not watch as screams of agony flooded the room. He already knew what was happening.

It was over in a brief second - the time it took for the firebender's lightning to flash through the air. Like a well oil machine, two of Zolt's large thugs came to retrieve the newly injured man in order to remove him from the room. Mako felt sick.

"There," Zolt smirked, "now he's blind... like me."

The Triple Thread leader sat back down in his chair, clearly satisfied with his handiwork, "So... what do you all think?"

"What exactly are you asking?" Mako managed to speak, if only to preserve the respect that Zolt had been giving him recently. He was the youngest by far sitting in the room, but he seemed to held in higher regard by Zolt than the older men in attendance. By the way several of the shady figures at the table leaned in, it seemed Mako wasn't the only one curious to know the answer.

Zolt smiled, "Great question kid. I'm asking if we should attend this little rendezvous with the other triads. The Monsoons proposed it, and the Agni-Kais are only coming if we go."

"I am conflicted," the elder man replied gruffly, "But if this meeting will assure us answers about our losses from the other week, then I will give it my vote."

"Me as well. Having the Avatar as a negotiating tool would give us a leg up over the other triads."

Mako didn't really care, but he agreed anyways, "Might as well."

Others chimed in, a resounding chorus of grunts of approval and declarations of approval filling the room. Zolt smiled, "Well, that settles it then. I'll let the Monsoons know. Meeting dismissed," he made eye contact with Mako as he stood from his leather upholstered seat, "Mako! Make sure you bring your girlfriend. We have some questions for her."

His eyes widened and he had to stop himself from snapping at the man. Instead, he spoke quickly, with a slightly aggravated tone, "She's not my girlfriend."

Zolt laughed, sending a shiver down Mako's spine, "I forget you aren't like I was at your age."

* * *

**a/n - Sky bison problems. Heh. Let me know what you thought of the whole scene with Zolt. It was tough to write... but I really wanted to portray his character that way. I hope no one cringed - I tried to make it tasteful. Hoping you all at least liked the character development I stuck in there. **

**The relationship between Mako and Korra is starting to change a little bit. Less fighting and pissing off each other and more subtle steps toward being kind of/sort of/maybe/not really friends. For Bolin's sake. As you see, it's _very _important to Bolin that Korra tells Mako.  
**

**Remember to review, folks! 'Cause then I'll be motivated. And then you'll get your chapters quick like this one (which should have been done two days ago). Pssst! I have 3 free days coming up! Hint hint.  
**


	10. On the Brick

**Disclaimer - If I ever get a time machine, the first thing I will do is go back in time and invent Avatar. That would be the only plausible situation for me to ever own this wonderful series.  
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**a/n - This chapter is for xXxMystical-DreamerxXx. She(?) informed me it is her(?) birthday Monday, and I appreciate her(?) reviews so much that I just had to send this chapter out early for her(?). Hell, I appreciated everyone's reviews so much that this was easy to write up! ****It's Monday (12:35am to be exact) where I live... so here it goes! **  


**This is the shortest chapter yet, at roughly 3.8k words... I hate to call it a 'filler,' but that's sort of what it is. Because a ton is going to be happening the next few chapters that just doesn't fit into this one.**

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Chapter 10 - Red On the Brick

Korra watched as Mako exited the building, his hands deep in his pockets. He didn't look relatively happy. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been called to the Triple Threat headquarters two days in a row? Perhaps it was whatever message Shin had needed to relay to him ASAP? Either way, he was acting oddly morose - which was saying something considering the teen wasn't the friendliest personality in general.

"There's a meeting tonight - Shin just gave me the time. Zolt asked us to go, or rather, he wanted Kor and I to be there."

"What's the meeting about?" Korra fumbled with the oversized sleeves of her jacket. Moreso, she was interested in why she _had_ to be at this meeting.

"All the triads are going to be there. They're just going to discuss some stuff about the attack and the Avatar."

Korra wasn't comfortable with this. A meeting with all of the most notorious and ruthless criminals was not the venue she had been hoping to spend her time in. Especially if the meeting was about the Avatar. Were they suspicious of her? Was Mako in on whatever they were planning? Her paranoia was running rampant.

Bolin must have seen the way her eyes darted around, sweeping over the street in front of them with increasing nervousness. He questioned his brother for her sake, "Why does Kor have to go?"

Mako shrugged, "Mainly because of Kor's involvement with the other triads, I guess." It was better than him saying that they wanted to somehow investigate the possibility of her being the Avatar.

"I'm not involved with the triads."

"Zolt thinks so."

"If Zolt thought Bolin was half platypus bear and wanted to hold him captive as a pet, would you do that too?"

She could here Bolin mutter a small warning under his breath, "Kor..."

She knew it wasn't productive toward getting Mako to trust her, but she just wasn't able to hold back the accusatory question. Korra wasn't sure whether to trust Mako's word. While Bolin insisted that his brother was one of the best options to confide in, she loathed the even the mere idea of trusting him with menial things. She had no idea if he was feeding information to the triad about her. She wasn't making his life any easier - that was for certain - so he had no motive to want to keep her around.

Mako had bothered by something since the Triple Threat meeting with Zolt. It had only been a day since it took place, but she was almost certain that an event occurred inside the restaurant that was now weighing heavily on his shoulders. It was in the way he walked and carried himself. His shoulders were tense and it wasn't hard to see his fists clenched within his pockets whenever he walked. Something was on his mind, bothering him - something that had only been amplified when he went to visit Shin.

"It's not like I want you to be there," his tone was stressed, but it wasn't cruel. He was clearly having a hard time finding the right words to say. His tone was heavy with mixed emotions, as if he had been trying to sound like he didn't care, but at the same time not offend them.

Korra was surprised by his tame and lack of aggressiveness in his tone. Maybe Bolin was right. With crossed arms and averted eyes, she did her best to sound understanding, "But we have to be there, right? Disobeying Zolt wouldn't be a good idea."

Mako could only nod in response. He motioned for the trio to start walking, an audible growl emitting from his brother's stomach, "I don't want you to be there, Bolin."

Bolin shook his head with certainty, "Nope! No way that's going to happen."

"If you're worried about Zolt getting to Kor - it's not a big deal. He just wants to confirm that she isn't working with the other triads."

"Which I'm not," her tone was flat.

"So you both have nothing to worry about."

The younger brother was not satisfied with Mako's reasoning, "I don't think we should be worried about Zolt as much as the Monsoons and Agni-Kais. Those guys are crazy."

"I can take care of myself Bolin. If push comes to shove, I'll do what I have to do," Korra's voice sliced through the tension like a knife before Bolin had a chance to argue his point. Even Mako seemed to be startled by her suddenly change in attitude.

It was true that she was still reluctant to go, but a nagging feeling persisted from within her. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to go. If Korra had been a regular person, she would have shaken the feeling off, blaming it on nerves. Instead, she was the Avatar. Even if she was shirking her duties to enjoy a slice of freedom, she had both a thousand past lives sending her mixed messages.

"You see? Nothing to worry about."

Bolin blinked at his friends, "I don't know whether to be more worried about you both going to this meeting... or the fact that you guys just agreed on something."

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In a world filled of uncertainties, Iroh was absolutely sure of two things. The first being that Tenzin and the old firebending master were two clashing personalities that were not meant to be confined into a ship together. The past few days hadn't been horrendous, but they had been uncomfortable. Especially when Tenzin attempted to make amends with the firebender.

The second was that Lin Beifong was going to be absolutely livid about his journey taking almost ten days instead of the originally intended two days. He wasn't necessarily worried about the woman's fury - he had endured worse. He was more concerned about keeping his leave of absence from his post under wraps. While he trusted his men to cover for him while he was gone, by now someone had to have realized that his grandfather wasn't feeling ill, and that he also should have been back a week ago.

They had made excellent time on their way back. The weather was cold, but the sky was clear and walls of thick falling snow did not detour their path at all. If they did end up becoming lost, Tenzin would saddle up his Bison and guide the ship through whatever obstacle had fallen between them and their destination. His sensei was also a welcome change to his previous trip. The man simply radiated warmth. He literally was a living furnace, heating up an entire room with his mere presence. The only problem he had with his two traveling companions were that they did not get along.

"Tenzin," he acknowledged the airbender from his place at the ship's helm. They were getting close to Republic City, and therefore needed to be more wary of the traffic on the water, "We're almost there. Can you grab Sensei?"

The airbender reluctantly agreed to carry out the task, leaving his comfortable spot at the captain's table. Iroh knew he was opening up a can of worms by asking Tenzin to go wake the Nameless Sensei from his nap, but he didn't have much a choice. He was occupied navigating the ship, and it wasn't like he had brought any men with him on the trip to give orders to. The General would have rather dealt with an angry old firebender any day over a sunken ship.

The short remainder of their trip was not without grumbles of complaints from said firebender, and an airbender who was just as equally irritated. Tenzin had entered the navigation room once more, his arms crossed and his face twisted into a scowl. It was a sight that Iroh had grown familiar with. Later came his sensei, who wordlessly sat in another seat at the nondescript metal table, and sipped his tea. This was the scene that had unfolded when they finally came into the harbor.

"Home sweet home. I have certainly missed Republic City," Tenzin gave a small, but emotion laden smile as he stepped out onto the deck, taking in the tall buildings and skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. His joy was short lived though. Iroh had never met her before, but he could only assume that the woman standing on the dock with dark colored hair and a highly unamused facial expression was Lin Beifong.

"You're in a world of trouble," she snarled, a finger pointed at three men as she stomped up the newly lowered platform that connected the dock to the ship.

"Chief Beifong, I can explain," Iroh straightened his uniform and took a step forward.

He could see the fury in her eyes as the metalbender approached him with murderous intentions. Her voice was hard and cold like the metal she bent, "I seriously doubt any explanation you give me will be satisfactory, General."

He was fully prepared for her to stop in front of him, grab the collar of his uniform forcefully, and begin to berate him like a young child. He had realized on the second day of his trip that this was his fate, and being the soldier he was, Iroh had no qualms about it. Instead, Iroh could only blink as Lin stormed past him, stopped before Tenzin, grabbed _his _collar, and began to unleash a tirade of insults.

"Do you realize what you've done? At the very least you could have discussed your decision with me before doing something so damn reckless!" she snarled as she spoke. Even from a distance, Iroh could see how tightly she had gripped Tenzin's robes, her knuckles having turned white.

"We didn't have time for talking," he quickly attempted to explain, "I had to leave quickly, and send a letter seemed to be the most productive method of communication to let you know about it."

The metalbender let go of his collar and glared at him, "Your stupidity has cost us the Avatar's safety! I've had to cover for your ass the past few days. The council has been hounding me with questions."

"Shh!" he glanced nervously at the dockworkers - notorious for gossip - nearby. Tenzin spoke quietly, "I apologize for any complications our delay may have caused, Lin. The weather was not on on our side - but I don't understand how my absence in the city could have contributed in harming Korra. Especially when she could have possibly been in the North Pole. My duties to the Avatar come before my position as a councilman."

"Are we even talking about the same thing?" Lin asked as Tenzin adjusted his collar, which had been stretched out of place when she had tugged on it.

"I thought you were complaining about how long our trip took? Iroh can vouch for me when I say that the weather was not on our side."

Lin crossed her arms and quirked her brow, "Don't tell me you don't know... The letter? To Unalaq?"

The airbender's surprise was genuine, "How did you know I sent him a letter?"

"The whole world knows about it," she replied flatly.

"What on earth do you mean by that?"

Lin reached into the pocket of her uniform to retrieve something. Iroh watched with intrigue as she withdrew a folded piece of paper - a newspaper. "I had been saving this so I could read it to you and show you how big of an idiot you are, but you can do it yourself now."

Tenzin unfolded the paper carefully before reading aloud, "Chief Unalaq informs the world of its missing Avatar - What?! How did this happen?"

"Apparently someone decided to write the man a letter, and he shockingly defied his brother's wishes to keep the sensitive information within the letter a secret."

"How was I supposed to know that he would make such a brash decision?"

"I'm more interested in why you felt the need to let him know," Lin argued, "We hadn't even sent word to the Earth Queen."

"Korra is his niece... I was under the impression we could trust him."

Iroh cleared his throat, causing a pause in the conversation that gave him enough time to speak, "From what I have gathered, Chief Unalaq isn't fond of his brother in the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Well, yes. The two are on opposite sides of the world for a reason," Tenzin supplied.

"I could understand Unalaq trying to spite his brother - if the letter was sent by him - but the letter was sent by you. This doesn't seem like a simple case of bad blood between siblings. He has no reason to go against your wishes."

"I suppose you're right," Tenzin replied, waiting for the General to get to the point. Before Iroh was able to say another word, a swarm of automobiles accumulated, their tires screeching as they came to a halt. Doors could be hear opening and shutting, their occupants yelling at one another and sprinting toward the ship. Iroh could see their cameras and notepads in hand.

"Damn, the press finally caught wind of your arrival," Lin growled. She gestured for the three men to follow her off the ship, "We have a car for you all to drive to City Hall. Talking to the council is unavoidable, Tenzin."

"But what about my bison?!"

"I'll contact Pema about it. Unless you _want_ to get stuck answering all of their questions."

A quick glance at the approaching mob of reporters was all Tenzin needed, "No, no... carry on!"

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"You guys should probend," Korra's mouth was full of food as she spoke.

"Sure," Mako replied, surprising her, "we should also take a field trip to the Fire Nation while we're at it."

She was unamused by his dry humor, "I'm just saying... it would be a decent alternative to working for the Triple Threats."

"Even if your idea _did _sound remotely sane - and I'm not saying it is - it's not like one of us is a waterbender."

Bolin, who had been devouring his noodles, looked at from across the table Korra, "Yeah, Kor. It's not like one of us could magically be a waterbender."

She kicked his shin for that comment, "Nope. Too bad. That would be too convenient. But I'm sure there are more than a few willing waterbenders out there who are aspiring to be probenders."

The younger brother winced, and the ever-perceptive Mako noticed, "Are you OK?"

"Yep..." Bolin's voice was high pitched and holding back some pain, "This food is just really spicy."

The firebender inspected the contents of his brother's bowl, "You got creamy noodles."

"Really spicy cream."

"Mine's pretty spicy too," Korra added.

Mako simply rolled his eyes, "It's not happening still. There's nothing wrong with our current situation."

"Oh!" Bolin had recovered by now, "We got you something, Kor!"

On cue, Mako reached into his pocket and placed a wadded up newspaper on the table. She mentally cringed as she deciphered a headline amidst the folds. The story had been something regarding the Avatar. Karma was _not _on her side lately. "It's a crumpled up newspaper?"

"I told you that wrapping it was unnecessary," he muttered under his breath to Bolin.

"Rule number one in gift giving, Mako - always wrap the present," the earthbender chastised his brother before turning to Korra with an enthusiastic grin, "It's not just a crumpled up newspaper! Look inside!"

Korra began to peel away the edges from the poorly wrapped mystery object, her efforts eventually revealing a thick stack of Yuans. She blinked, "Why are you giving me money?"

"It's for a new coat. Mako insisted that you'd appreciate the money more than us messing up and getting you one that didn't fit."

She was puzzled, "This is a lot of money though. What's the occasion?"

Mako poked his meal with his fork, trying his best to seem uncaring about the situation, "Bolin said you had forgotten your birthday last week. He wanted to get you something since you were away from home."

"Thank you," she replied quietly. In truth, she wasn't sure what to say. They had gone out of their way to do this - they hadn't _needed _to even acknowledge her birthday, and yet they did.

"We can go to a tailor tomorrow," Mako did his best to break up the awkwardness of the sentimental moment at hand, "And not a cheap one either. We can go to a decent one that will actually take your measurements and make it for you."

"I really appreciate it. You guys didn't have to do this."

"Well, seeing as you're our friend... and this is the kind of thing that friends do..." Bolin shrugged. The statement meant a lot to her. As the Avatar living in an isolated compound, friends weren't exactly easy to come by. Hell, she had barely even interacted with people her age prior to arriving in Republic City. The fact that Bolin and Mako - however untrusting he appeared - had done this for her was no small matter.

"Also, we're celebrating because you get a free dessert here," Bolin declared as he attempted to flag down the waiter.

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In a way, Tonraq missed the old airbender. Between the variety of stories he told and the constant reassurance that they would find Korra that he provided, he was sorely missed. Things had been slow around the Southern Water Tribe the past two days. Life had returned to its slow and relaxed pace for the Chief - as it had been before he received word of his daughter's disappearance.

He stood on the long pier near the docks, observing the tribe's imports and exports come and go. One of the things that Tenzin had suggest to relieve the stress and tension from his situation was to get out more. Previously, Tonraq had holed himself up in the palace, dedicating himself to his work in order to forget about everything.

"Is it true, Chief Tonraq?"

The voice belonged to a young man. He clearly wasn't from his tribe, judging by the Earth Kingdom garb he was dressed in. Tonraq smiled at the teen. He couldn't have been older than Korra, "Is what true?"

"The rumors, sir."

Tonraq narrowed his vision. Behind the boy he was able to see a cluster of nervous men dressed in clothing similar to the boy. The kid followed his gaze, nervously looking at his feat, "They made me ask you. I mean no disrespect, sir."

"What rumors are you talking about?"

"Your daughter - the Avatar. Is she really missing?"

It took every bit of self restraint that the Chief had to not lash out right there. He kept his hands firmly at his sides, to not waterbend this kid to the ground and interrogate him with force. How did he know? Tonraq wanted answers. His voice was no longer friendly and inviting, "Who told you that?"

"It's common news - all over the Earth Kingdom."

The Chief swallowed, "What makes you think it's even true?"

"The rumor is that your brother got a letter from Tenzin - the airbender about it."

Tonraq did not speak. If he had been born a firebender, he was almost certain that there would be steam emitting from his ears. If he had been an earthbender, the ground would be shaking. Instead, he was a waterbender, which meant that in his mounting anger, the world grew as cold as ice. Or at least it would have if he weren't already standing on a pier made completely out of it.

When Tenzin had informed him that he had sent a letter to his brother, he had not anticipated this reaction. Tonraq knew that the relationship between he and Unalaq was not great. He knew that animosity remained between the two of them after his banishment. However, he was not expecting his own brother's betrayal to be so blatant and personal. It wasn't only a move that changed the relationship between the two sister tribes, but it was also an attack on his family. That was the very thing that set him over the edge. He could forgive an attack that was aimed directly at him, but the moment Unalaq involved Korra, his brother was stepping into unforgivable territory.

Tonraq knew better than to involve his tribe in family matters and start a full-blown war with the North over something his brother did to endanger his family. This was personal to the very core. At that very moment he had made up his mind. He ignored the nervous Earth Kingdom teen in front of him, ignored the boy's stupid friends who were watching, and walked briskly in the direction of his home. He would say goodbye to Senna first, tell her what had occurred. He would quietly order a ship straight to the North Pole, despite his banished status. Then he would confront Unalaq and do his best to understand his brother's reasoning for his actions.

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**a/n - so here it is. Hope you guys like this chapter, despite its filler status. Let me know which 'POVs' you want more of. I've been doing a lot of Korra and Iroh lately, but I want to know what you guys like. I definitely have a bit of Tenzin planned next chapter.  
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**Remember to review! I LOVE your feedback and value knowing that you enjoy my writing. Conversely, if you tell me that this story sucks and give me some tips, I will love you just as much.**


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